Listen to this article
Average 3 minutes
The audio version of this article was created by AI-based technology. It can be mispronounced. We are working with our partners to continuously review and improve the results.
Canada is now eligible to enter the Eurovision Song Contest, but the country’s broadcaster won’t say whether it will take part in the popular contest.
CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Thursday, following a vote at the EBU’s general meeting in Prague. The Canadian public broadcaster has been an associate member of the EBU since 1950.
The new membership means Canada is now eligible to submit a bid for Eurovision, but the CBC won’t say whether it will — just yet.
“We will talk more about the Eurovision Song Contest later,” Leon Mar, a spokesman for CBC/Radio-Canada, said in an email.
In the 2025 budget, the Carney government said it was working with the CBC to “evaluate Canada’s participation in Eurovision.” Two government sources told CBC News at the time that the prime minister was personally involved in pushing the plan forward,
The federal government has not responded to a request for comment.
In May, Eurovision director Martin Green said the contest would welcome Canada’s participation.
Some non-European countries compete
The EBU organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, commonly known as Eurovision, which has been running since 1956. Eligible broadcasters can submit songs representing their country, and viewers from other countries can vote. Contest rules may change annually.
Canada would not be the first non-European country to compete – Israel, Morocco and Australia all took part.
Australia has competed since 2015, although its participating broadcaster, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), is not a full member of the EBU. Instead, the union was giving special permission to participate. Recently, Israel’s participation has prompted the withdrawal of many foreign broadcasters, including those from Ireland, Spain, Iceland, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
In the 2026 competition, Bulgarian singer Dara won with the song Bangaranga.
The promotion will benefit the CBC and EBU, executives say
The EBU is a federation of public service media, with 115 member organizations in 57 countries, in addition to 28 partners.
Elevation of the CBC to full membership of the EBU means that the public broadcaster can now access “investigative journalism networks, verification, digital news and data, as well as Eurovision News Exchange and Euroradio Music Exchange services,” a press release from the CBC and EBU.
The exchange also allows members to share live and scheduled news.
“This new chapter in our relationship with the EBU and its members will deepen our partnership at a time when the collective impact of public media is critical,” said Marie-Philippe Bouchard, president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, in a statement.
“It’s a milestone that will benefit people on both sides of the Atlantic by helping to combat disinformation and support cultural expression.”
Noel Curran, director general of the EBU, said that Canada can make a strong contribution to the EBU.
“As one of the world’s leading broadcasters, it has already made a significant contribution to our union – helping us to set and raise the standard of public service journalism that is so important right now,” he said in a statement.
“Full membership means we can now do more together…. Canada’s voice in this community makes us stronger.”
