Canada’s national broadcaster has indicated that further statements regarding Eurovision participation are expected, following confirmation that the country is now eligible to compete in the contest.
This week, CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), a move that makes Canada eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time.
The decision to grant CBC/Radio-Canada full EBU membership followed a revision to the EBU’s Statutes, which were also approved by the General Assembly. The revised framework opens extra-European Membership to broadcasting organizations from countries with a public service media system aligned with core Council of Europe standards and formal observer status with the Council of Europe. Canada was deemed to meet both criteria.
Despite the major development, CBC has stopped short of confirming whether Canada will take part in Eurovision.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster told CBC News:
“We’ll have more to say about the Eurovision Song Contest later.”
At present, no timeline has been given for when a decision could be announced, and CBC has not confirmed any plans to debut in a future contest.
Source: CBC News
Canada and Eurovision+
Canada has previously participated in Eurovision Young Dancers in 1987 and 1989. Canada’s participation in the 1987 contest marked the first time that a country outside the European Broadcasting Area participated in a Eurovision Contest. Several Canadian singers have also represented other countries at the Eurovision Song Contest, such as Sherisse Laurence (Luxembourg 1986), Annie Cotton (Switzerland 1993), Natasha St-Pier (France 2001), Rykka (Switzerland 2016) and Céline Dion (1988 winner for Switzerland).
CBC/Radio-Canada was first reported to be exploring participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in November 2025. The broadcaster also sent observers to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.