Canada has less than a year to get ready for Eurovision. Who should represent our country on the world's biggest music stage?

Those were among the suggestions that flooded social media after it was announced last week that Canada will become the first new country to join Eurovision since Australia in 2015. 

Most are little more than wishful thinking, but they underscore the excitement around Canada’s debut at a contest where seemingly anything is possible.

“Everyone is going to say go nationalistic — get Carly Rae Jepsen, Tate McRae or someone like that — but my mind’s the opposite,” said Matti McLean, the Toronto-based co-host of the “Think About Eurovision” podcast.

“We have an opportunity here to present Canada with a fresh face and fresh voice that otherwise would not get seen.”

McLean said a likeable performer and song are only part of the equation to win. They also need a strong artistic team who can execute the full vision, whether it’s elaborate choreography or impressive visuals projected onto the massive digital screens.

“Standing on stage and doing a song — that won’t cut it,” said McLean. “We need someone with artistic insights to ensure an interesting performance. That will be what gives us our edge.”

Toronto singer-songwriter Rêve, who has followed Eurovision for years, said the competition has the ability to hook almost any music fan with its catchy tunes and spectacle.

“Eurovision is like my Super Bowl,” said Rêve, who’s known for her Canadian hits “CTRL + ALT + DEL” and “Contemporary Love.” “It’s so maximalist and you’re rewarded for that maximalism. There’s nothing subdued about it.”

“I just hope whoever ends up representing Canada knows the weight of what an opportunity this is.”

What is Eurovision?

Eurovision is unlike almost any other competition in the world.

Every year, the official broadcaster from each nation submits one original song, which can be up to three minutes long and performed by as many as six artists on stage. Over three nights, their performance is nitpicked by the voting public and a jury of music industry experts, before a grand finale names the year’s winner.

Along the way come elaborate staging, flamboyant costumes and performances that often embrace the outrageous. But the song competition is serious business. Over its 70-year history, it has made international stars out of ABBA, Céline Dion and rock band Måneskin, who all won the top prize.

The pressure to get it right

With less than a year before its debut in Bulgaria, Canada still needs to choose an artist, commission an original song and assemble the creative team capable of turning a three-minute performance into a visual spectacle for more than 130 million viewers worldwide. Last year, 35 countries competed in the song contest.

“The stakes are high when you first go to Eurovision,” said William Lee Adams, the London-based founder of Eurovision fan site Wiwibloggs.

“My advice to Canada is this: Get it right in the early years, because it sets the tone.”

Adams said it might be tough for a country with so many regional identities to choose just one sound to represent the nation.

“Canada needs to think of the Eurovision project as something long-term because you cannot encapsulate all of the regional identities and musical traditions in one song,” said Adams. “There’s a real opportunity to showcase all of Canada.”

How can Canada compete?

While Canada has never directly participated in Eurovision, many homegrown performers have taken the stage representing other nations.

Dion famously won in 1988 while singing for Switzerland with the song “Ne partez pas sans moi.” More recently, Vancouver native Rykka sang for the Swiss but was eliminated in the 2016 semifinals, while Montreal’s La Zarra represented France at the finals in 2023.

Speculation that Canada might get involved had circulated for years, but it wasn’t until last month that CBC became a full member of the EBU, which made it eligible to submit an entry.

Why does Canada want to get involved?

Besides showcasing Canada’s musical talent on a global stage, there are other reasons for Canada to symbolically link arms with Europe amid ongoing U.S. political tensions.

Prime Minister Mark Carney floated the idea of joining the song contest in his 2025 federal budget and he’s spoken about strengthening allyship with many of the European nations involved in the song contest.

“The world needs more Canada,” Carney said in his comments in Ottawa on Canada Day as he announced the country’s participation. 

The prime minister hinted that Canada would choose its performer through a national vote on a televised singing competition.

“You will decide which Canadian artist first steps onto the Eurovision stage beneath our flag,” he said.

Boycotts over Israel’s involvement

Canada’s arrival in Eurovision comes as the song competition faces the biggest controversy in its history.

Five countries — Iceland, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia — withdrew from the 2026 competition in Vienna to protest the EBU’s decision to allow Israel to compete amid the ongoing war in Gaza, arguing the move was inconsistent with Russia’s suspension following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The debate spread through the music industry, where more than 1,000 artists have signed an open letter calling for a boycott, including Brian Eno, Massive Attack and Sigur Rós.

The EBU has defended its position, saying the song contest is a cultural and non-political event, and referenced a vote in late 2025 where 70 per cent of its members supported Israel’s participation.

Eurovision’s position has soured some Canadian artists, including Ceréna who says she once held aspirations to create a song for the competition.

“Knowing they banned Russia for invading Ukraine and then crickets around Israel really turned me off the whole thing,” said the Juno-nominated Toronto electro-pop singer.

“I’d be lying if I said part of me wasn’t excited about Canada getting involved, but it goes against everything I believe in.”