The
announced Tuesday
that would boost funding for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and its French-language counterpart, Radio-Canada — and included in that plan was the possibility that Canada could participate in Eurovision.
, $150 million would go toward the broadcaster “to strengthen its mandate to serve the public and to better reflect the needs of Canadians” in 2025-26. The government was also working with CBC to “explore participation in Eurovision,” the televised songwriting competition.
However, little information is available about the Eurovision plan. “Further details will be announced in due course,” a spokesperson for the Department of Finance Canada told National Post after the budget announcement.
The investment will strengthen CBC’s strategy, which “is focused on increasing the benefits to Canadians of a healthier media ecosystem. It supports the production of Canadian stories, and deeper partnerships with communities to strengthen democracy and bring Canadians together,” the broadcaster said in a
released on Tuesday. CBC did not mention Eurovision in its statement.
Canada has not officially taken part in the song contest, although Canadians have participated on behalf of other countries. Most notably, Canadian icon Celine Dion won the competition in 1988, singing Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Don’t Leave Without Me) in French. She was representing Switzerland.
Public broadcasters who are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are tasked with
for the contest.
, Canada is not a member. Although countries like Israel and Australia are not in Europe, they can participate because they are members of EBU.
Non-European countries that are not EBU members must be “specially invited” to take part,
.
The first Eurovision Song Contest was
. But it didn’t air on Canadian television screens until 1990,
, a site dedicated to news about the contest.
The next Eurovision contest is set to be held in Vienna, Austria, in May 2026.
After the federal budget was announced, Conservative MP Andrew Lawton commented about it on X. “Can’t afford groceries? Don’t worry — the Liberal budget is exploring participation by CBC in Eurovision,” he wrote.
Can’t afford groceries? Don’t worry — the Liberal budget is exploring participation by CBC in Eurovision. pic.twitter.com/LDx7VJocFo
— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) November 4, 2025
The budget also includes roughly $400 million intended to “grow Canada’s creative industries and help Canadian talent succeed in an increasingly digital and global marketplace.”
The funds will support the Canada Music Fund, TV5MONDEplus, Telefilm, the Canada Media Fund, the National Film Board, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Canada Periodical Fund’s Special Measures for Journalism, according to the budget.
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