Canada’s Eurovision era is officially underway.
CBC/Radio-Canada is launching a nationwide search for the first artist to represent Canada at the Eurovision Song Contest, ahead of the country’s highly anticipated debut in Bulgaria next May.
Canada officially joined the Eurovision family earlier this summer, after CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), making the country eligible to compete for the first time.
Despite its name, Eurovision isn’t limited strictly to European countries. Broadcasters that are members of the EBU are eligible to participate, which is how Australia joined the competition in 2015 following years of strong viewership and fan support. Canada now becomes the first new country to enter the contest since Australia made its debut more than a decade ago.
And it’s joining one of the biggest televised music events on the planet. According to organizers, more than 130 million viewers across 35 markets watched the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, while the event generated more than one billion views on Instagram alone.
Eurovision 2027 will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, at Arena Burgas. The semi-finals are scheduled for May 11 and May 13, 2027, with the Grand Final taking place on May 15, 2027.
Bulgaria earned hosting duties after singer Dara won the 2026 contest in Vienna with “Bangaranga,” securing the country’s first-ever Eurovision victory.
How To Apply To Represent Canada At Eurovision
So, think you have what it takes to be Canada’s first Eurovision act?
Beginning Monday, August 31, 2026, Canadian artists can visit CBC/Radio-Canada’s Eurovision portal at cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/eurovision to review the eligibility requirements and submit their application. But the window is short: registration closes Wednesday, September 9.
Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents and at least 18 years old. Full eligibility and participation requirements will be available through the portal once applications open.
For Canada’s inaugural Eurovision campaign, CBC/Radio-Canada is doing things a little differently. Rather than asking artists to submit a finished Eurovision song, the broadcaster will first choose the performer who will represent the country. That artist will then work with top music-industry talent to develop the song, staging and performance that Canada will take to Bulgaria.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is the biggest music stage in the world, and we invite artists from across Canada to be part of this remarkable adventure with us,” said Doug Smith, Executive Vice-President of CBC.
“We are seeking a magnetic Canadian performer with a genuine passion for representing Canada and a proven track record of captivating very large live audiences, whether through exceptional vocal power, electrifying stage presence, or truly original artistry.”
Following the submission period, CBC/Radio-Canada will narrow the applicants down to a shortlist of finalists, which will be revealed this fall.
Then Canadians get a say.
Videos featuring each finalist will be posted online, allowing the public to vote for the artist they want to see represent Canada on the Eurovision stage. Those results will be combined with the decision of a music-industry jury to determine who ultimately gets the historic ticket to Bulgaria.
In other words, Canada’s first Eurovision representative won’t simply be chosen behind closed doors—we’ll actually get to help decide who goes.
Canada Already Has A Eurovision History
Canada may be a Eurovision rookie on paper, but Canadians are hardly strangers to the competition.
Known for its massive staging, pyrotechnics, wild costumes, dramatic key changes and performances that can veer from genuinely moving to wonderfully bizarre, Eurovision has built a devoted Canadian fanbase despite the country never previously being eligible to compete.
At the 2026 contest, Canada ranked among the top three countries in the “Rest of the World” vote. Canadians were also among the largest groups of international ticket buyers from outside Europe, with thousands making the trip to Vienna for the Semi-Finals and Grand Final.
Of course, Canadian performers have also been quietly woven into Eurovision history for decades.
Most famously, Quebec’s Céline Dion represented Switzerland at the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, winning the entire competition with “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.” The victory came years before Dion became one of the biggest-selling recording artists in the world.
She isn’t the only Canadian to have competed.
New Brunswick-raised Natasha St-Pier represented France at Eurovision in Copenhagen in 2001 with “Je n’ai que mon âme,” finishing fourth. More recently, Montreal-born La Zarra represented France at the 2023 competition in Liverpool with “Évidemment.”
Now, nearly four decades after Dion lifted the Eurovision trophy for Switzerland, a Canadian artist will finally get the chance to walk onto the world’s biggest music stage with Canada’s name beside theirs.
And sometime this fall, we’ll find out who that artist will be.
