Someone tell the sequin suppliers to brace for a new customer, eh?
That’s right, Canada, the friendliest country in the world, will compete in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, becoming the first new country admitted to the contest since Australia’s arrival in 2015.
CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) last week, clearing the path for Canadian participation. Eurovision eligibility is tied to EBU membership rather than strict geography, the same mechanism that let Australia in via broadcaster SBS, which holds associate membership.
“While born in Europe, the contest continues to welcome the world,” Eurovision Director Martin Green said in a statement.
CBC/Radio-Canada President Marie-Philippe Bouchard said the move would put Canadian talent in front of a global audience. “We’re bringing the world’s largest live music event to Canadians,” she said. “Our participation will allow Canadian talent to be showcased on one of the most storied music stages in the world.”
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A familiar face on an unfamiliar stage
Canadian artists are no strangers to the Eurovision stage, just never under their own flag. Céline Dion delivered Switzerland its second Eurovision win in Dublin in 1988, performing Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Don’t Leave Without Me) a year before her international breakthrough with Where Does My Heart Beat Now.
Eurovision organisers noted that Canada was among the top three nations in the Rest of the World vote at this year’s contest in Vienna and was one of the largest sources of ticket buyers from outside Europe, with many Canadians travelling to Austria for the May event.
Main image: AI-generated (but go ahead, Canada, take it for inspiration – this one’s on us)