The Eurovision Song Contest is crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, with Canada officially confirmed as a competitor in the 2027 edition of the beloved pop music spectacle.
The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, and Canadian public broadcaster CBC jointly announced that Canada will send a performer to the 2027 competition, scheduled for May in Bulgaria. This marks the first time a new country has joined Eurovision since Australia made its debut back in 2015.
The news was revealed on Canada Day, the country’s national holiday, and follows Canada’s recent membership in the EBU — an association of national public broadcasters that runs the Eurovision contest.
Often described as the World Cup of pop music, Eurovision has been entertaining audiences since 1956, bringing together musical acts from dozens of mostly European nations to compete for votes from both professional judges and viewers around the world. The contest famously launched ABBA into global stardom with their 1974 winning song “Waterloo.”
CBC President Marie-Philippe Bouchard expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity, saying participation “will allow Canadian talent to be showcased on one of the most storied music stages in the world.”
Eurovision Director Martin Green called Canada’s entry “a further sign that, while born in Europe, the Contest continues to welcome the world.”
CBC says it will share information later this year about how Canada’s Eurovision entry will be chosen. Depending on the country, competitors are either selected through nationally televised competitions or picked directly by the public broadcaster.
Canadians are no strangers to Eurovision success — most notably, Quebecoise singer Celine Dion won the 1988 contest while representing Switzerland.
The contest’s 70th anniversary edition this past May featured 35 countries and was claimed by Bulgarian singer Dara, which is why the 2027 competition will be held in Bulgaria.
Eurovision has faced significant turbulence in recent years stemming from controversy over Israel’s participation. Israel has been a Eurovision competitor since 1973, but organizers’ refusal to remove the country over its military actions in Gaza and the West Bank prompted five longtime members — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia — to sit out this year’s event.
The 2026 Eurovision final drew an audience of 130 million viewers worldwide, according to organizers, a drop from 160 million who tuned in during 2025.
Despite the financial and viewership setbacks caused by the boycott, Eurovision is pushing forward with expansion plans, including a spinoff competition called Eurovision Song Contest Asia, set to be held in Bangkok in November.
