THE NORTH AMERICAN nation of Canada is now eligible to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest.
That’s because the country’s State broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Thursday. CBC had been an Associate Member of the EBU since 1950.
EBU membership is a requirement to compete at the Eurovision.
CBC has not yet confirmed if the country will compete in the song contest.
“We’ll have more to say about the Eurovision Song Contest later,” Leon Mar, a spokesperson for CBC/Radio-Canada, told CBC in an email.
The contest was referenced in prime minister Mark Carney’s budget last year.
“The government will explore modernising CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate to strengthen independence, and is working with CBC/Radio Canada to explore participation in Eurovision,” the budget stated.
Although Canada has never formally competed in the Eurovision Song Contest, Canadian artists have taken part, and even won.
In 1988, Céline Dion, originally from Quebec, won the competition in Dublin representing Switzerland. Her victory proved to be a major breakthrough, launching her international career.
Eurovision Song Contest / YouTube
Since then, other Canadian performers have also appeared in Eurovision, including Natasha and La Zarra, who competed for France in 2001 and 2023.
Ahead of this year’s contest, Eurovision director Martin Green said that the contest would welcome Canadian participation.
“We know that Mark Carney wants to sort of embrace Europe,” Green said.
“Nothing’s particularly come over my desk. But what I would say is we are an open place. For 70 years, our doors have been open, and we will welcome anyone through those doors who want to share the values of this wonderful occasion and stand on our stage with friends.”
Canada also would not be the first non-European country to compete in the contest – Israel and Australia competed in this year’s Eurovision, and Morocco previously competed in 1980.
Ireland and four other nations (Spain, Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland) boycotted this year’s contest in protest over the inclusion of Israel.
The five nations cited Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and unfair voting practices as reasons for their boycotts.
RTÉ, which oversees the national entry here, also refused to broadcast the show, and instead aired an episode of Father Ted parodying the contest (A Song for Europe).
RTÉ said at the time that participation was “unconscionable” given the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the killing of journalists during the conflict.