Canada wants in on Eurovision — and this time it’s the Prime Minister making the call

Canada has flirted with Eurovision before. There have been fan petitions, production proposals and the eternal argument that “Céline Dion did it first.” But this time, it isn’t fans or TV executives pushing the idea — it’s the government. And not just any random MP. The project reportedly has the personal backing of Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Yes. The same federal budget that talked about downsizing government and raising defence spending also slipped in a line about “exploring Canada’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest,” with CBC/Radio-Canada already involved. Which means this is no longer a rumour — it’s now policy language.

Two government sources confirmed that Carney himself has taken interest in the file. Which raises the real question: what kind of country tries to enter a European song contest as a geopolitical strategy? Answer: the same one that once branded itself “the world’s peacekeeper” and now seems ready to trade helmets for sequins and soft power.

Carney’s logic is obvious: Eurovision is no longer just a glittery TV show — it’s a global cultural megaphone. 160+ million viewers, weeks of social media dominance, and instant music export impact. For a government that keeps promising to raise Canada’s cultural influence but rarely explains how, Eurovision suddenly looks like a shortcut with rhythm.

There is, of course, one technical inconvenience: Canada isn’t eligible. It’s not a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) — just an affiliate. And affiliate members can’t compete… unless the EBU makes an exception. Which it already did once. For Australia. So the message from Ottawa is basically: “If they can bend the rulebook for kangaroos, why not for maple syrup?”

The other hurdle is CBC, which previously dismissed Eurovision participation as “prohibitively expensive.” An interesting position from a broadcaster that happily licenses Dragons’ Den and The Great British Baking Show, but draws the line at three minutes of key changes and pyrotechnics.
But if your Prime Minister wants it, budgets suddenly become… flexible.

Then there’s the cultural question: Does Canada even care about Eurovision?
Outside queer communities, multicultural households and terminally online pop fans, the contest is still “that European fever dream with wind machines and political voting.”
But that was also the case in Australia — until it wasn’t.

What’s different now is this: this attempt isn’t fan-led, it’s state-led.
A Prime Minister backing Eurovision means strategy, not whim.
It says: “We don’t just want cultural presence — we want a slot in the Grand Final.”

Will the EBU say yes? Too early.
Will Canada need a national selection? Not necessarily.
Would the whole thing cost less than a government press conference? Absolutely.

What is clear: this is the most real Canada has ever been about Eurovision.
And when a G7 leader decides that Europe’s biggest song contest is now diplomacy, the question stops being “Will Canada join?” and becomes “When do we start rehearsals?”

Suddenly, a Canadian singer screaming into a key change under a giant LED maple leaf doesn’t feel like fanfiction anymore.
Source: CBC