Canada to Debut at Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Bulgaria

CBC/Radio Canada Becomes a Full Member

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had declared ESC membership a political objective. His government had already provided the equivalent of 150 million Canadian dollars in 2025 to the national broadcaster CBC/Radio Canada in order to "explore participation in Eurovision." The now-completed full membership in the EBU and participation in the Contest from 2027 are the direct result of this initiative.

The 2027 host city in Bulgaria stems from Bulgarian singer Dara's victory at the ESC 2026 in Vienna with her song "Bangaranga." The EBU and the host broadcaster btr (Bulgarian National Television) subsequently awarded the contest to Bulgaria.

Reactions from Geneva and Canada

"Even though the contest was born in Europe, it continues to welcome the whole world," explained ESC Director Martin Green. The EBU chief emphasized that the new addition was "another sign that, although it was born in Europe, the Contest continues to welcome the world."

The president of CBC/Radio Canada, Marie-Philippe Bouchard, highlighted that participation would enable Canadian talent to "present themselves on one of the most historic music stages in the world." It would also enable fans in Canada to continue following and voting in the Song Contest as usual – "with the added thrill of seeing their own country represented on the Eurovision stage."

With Australia and Israel, two non-European participants are already established parts of the competition. Australia has been participating continuously since 2015 and has established itself as a fixture. Canada is now following a similar path, with the EBU having already undertaken the fundamental opening beyond Europe years ago.

Enthusiasm in Canada

Song Contest enthusiasm in Canada is enormous: At the ESC 2026 in Vienna, Canada was the country with the third-highest number of votes cast among those nations not themselves participating in the competition. Similar to Australia, where "Down Under" had triggered a genuine ESC euphoria, anticipation in Canada is high.

There is already a Canadian ESC winner: Céline Dion won the contest in 1988 with the song "Ne partez pas sans moi." At the time, however, the Francophone Canadian sang for Switzerland. It remains to this day the only ESC winning title sung in French.

Céline Dion and the Francophone Connection

The timing of the announcement of Canada's participation already for 2027 is hardly coincidental. July 1, Canada Day, provides a prominent stage for a message of great symbolic power. The EBU and CBC/Radio Canada used the holiday to stage the move as a national as well as continent-spanning premiere.

According to the EBU's own information, it has more than 100 members that do not originate exclusively from Europe. With Canada's accession, the association expands by one of the world's largest public-service broadcasters. CBC/Radio Canada operates radio programs in English and French as well as numerous digital services.

For the coming years, the broadcaster plans, according to its own information, a comprehensive accompanying program around Canada's participation. This is expected to include a national selection process to determine the performer and song, as well as an extensive supporting program to accompany the campaign for the favor of European and international audiences.

Which song and which performer will represent Canada at the ESC 2027 in Bulgaria has not yet been determined. Organizers, however, expect a strong response: the Canadian music scene has international visibility, and the prospect of performing on the stage of the world's largest live music competition is likely to generate enormous interest.

Outlook for 2027

With Canada's participation, the EBU is setting another accent in the gradual internationalization of the competition. The official statement that the expansion reflects the cosmopolitan openness of the Contest underscores the endeavor to further develop ESC as a global brand – far beyond the borders of geographic Europe.

The official statement from the organizers in full: "Die Europäische Rundfunkunion und ihr neuestes Mitglied, CBC/Radio Canada, Kanadas öffentlich-rechtlicher Rundfunk, freuen sich bekannt zu geben, dass Kanada am Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Bulgarien teilnehmen wird."

This clears the way for a premiere that is likely to set new accents both musically and culturally. Canada brings with it a diverse musical landscape, ranging from Francophone chansons to English-language pop – a repertoire that could provide surprises in the ESC context.