Eurovision Song Contest 2026: Canada Eyes Spot At The International Event

Reigning Eurovision winner JJ celebrating his win on stage earlier this yearAs question marks still hover over which participating countries will actually be returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026, it seems the event could have an unexpected new addition in the not-too-distant future.Last week, the Canadian government shared its federal budget, which contained a line that has captured plenty of people’s attention, noting that it was working with the country’s national broadcasters CBC and Radio Canada “to explore participation in Eurovision”.As reported by Canada’s Global News, finance minister François-Philippe Champagne said: “This was something that was asked by the people who participate and I think it’s a platform for Canada to shine.”Per The Guardian, he added: “I think it’s a platform for Canada to shine.“This is about protecting our identity – yes, we want to protect our sovereignty, but you also want to help people in the arts sector and in the film industry to make sure they can shine around the world. And we have a lot to offer as Canadians.”François-Philippe Champagne in 2020Canada’s CBC already holds an associate membership in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the group of national broadcasters who put on Eurovision each year.They previously ruled out the possibility of competing at Eurovision as recently as 2022, pointing out it would be “prohibitively expensive”.A number of prolific Canadians have competed at Eurovision over the years on behalf of other countries, though, most notably the Quebecoise singer Celine Dion, who won on behalf of Switzerland in 1988.Celine Dion on stage at Eurovision in 1988Canada may seem like an unexpected choice to compete at Eurovision, given how far away from Europe the country actually is, but it’s worth pointing out that several non-European countries have become staples of the contest, most notably Israel and Australia.The presence of the former has long been a contentious issue, but since the conflict in Gaza has escalated over recent years, the debate around Israel’s involvement has grown even louder, with some even calling for a boycott of the contest as long as Israel remains part of it.As many as four national broadcasters have said they will not be competing at Eurovision in 2026 should Israel be asked back, though others have also taken the opposite view.Back in September, it was announced that each broadcaster in the EBU would be taking part in a vote in December to determine whether or not Israel should be allowed to return.However, in light of the historic peace plan that was announced in October, the EBU confirmed this vote would no longer be going ahead, and instead, the matter would be discussed at length at a meeting in December, instead.Since this ceasefire was put in place just over a month ago, Al Jazeera has reported that Israeli attacks have killed at least 242 people in Palestine, with 622 more injured.MORE EUROVISION:Eurovision Organisers Have Another Update On Israel's Involvement After 'Developments In The Middle East'These Are All The Countries That Have Spoken Out About Israel's Involvement At Eurovision 2026Céline Dion's Rep Hits Back At 'Entirely False And Potentially Damaging' Eurovision Claims

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