Eurovision boss says Canada would be “welcome” in contest expansion

Canada would be welcome to take part in Eurovision if it chose to do so, contest director Martin Green has stated, following the country’s earlier indication that it wanted to “explore” joining the competition in its federal budget.

In an interview with the BBC, he said on May 14 that Canada has not yet submitted an application, but they know that Mark Carney “wants to sort of embrace Europe,” Caliber.Az reports, citing The Guardian.

“We will welcome anyone through those doors who wants to share the values of this wonderful occasion and stand on our stage with friends,” he noted.

Although Eurovision is primarily a platform for European performers, it is open to countries whose broadcasters are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Canada’s public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), is not a full member but could qualify as an “associate member.”

So far, the only associate member ever admitted into Eurovision is Australia, which was allowed to compete in 2015 due to the contest’s strong popularity there.

The CBC has confirmed that it has sent representatives to this year’s competition as “observers.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney first floated the idea of joining Eurovision in November as part of the 2025 federal budget, reflecting what some see as a broader shift in Canada’s orientation away from the United States and toward Europe.

A brief reference in the nearly 500-page budget document showed the government was working with CBC to “explore participation in the Eurovision”.

According to two government sources cited by the CBC, Carney—who spent years studying and living in the United Kingdom, including serving as governor of the Bank of England—has been personally engaged in promoting Canada’s potential involvement.

“I think it’s a platform for Canada to shine,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in November. “This is about protecting our identity – yes, we want to protect our sovereignty, but you also want to help people in the arts sector and in the film industry to make sure they can shine around the world. And we have a lot to offer as Canadians.”

Eurovision researcher and associate professor at the University of Southern Queensland, Jess Carniel, told The Guardian that Canada would need to prove to the EBU that its participation makes commercial sense.

“Canada has got a lot of work to do if they want to join,” Carniel said. “Australia joined after years of building a relationship with the EBU and building a business case. Underpinning that was the idea that Australia could help establish a regional Asia Pacific song contest. It was not just because Australia really loves Eurovision, which is what is often trotted out. You don’t get to join just because you want to join.”

Canada has previously considered joining Eurovision; in 2022, the CBC rejected the idea, calling it “prohibitively expensive.”

While Canada has never officially competed in Eurovision, Canadian artists have frequently appeared in the contest. Most notably, Céline Dion won for Switzerland in 1988 with the song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi. Natasha St-Pier represented France in 2001, and La Zarra did so in 2023.

Participants are not required to be citizens of the country they represent, although some nations do enforce such rules.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov