Canada is taking its next major step towards its historic Eurovision Song Contest debut, with CBC/Radio-Canada opening applications to find the country’s first Eurovision representative on 31 August 2026.
Canadian artists will have until 9 September to apply, beginning a selection process that will ultimately determine who represents Canada at Eurovision 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Canada is choosing the artist first
Unlike many Eurovision selections where performers submit a finished song, CBC/Radio-Canada is initially focusing on finding the artist.
Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 18 or older. Once the representative has been selected, the successful artist will work with Canadian music-industry professionals to develop the song and performance that Canada will take to Eurovision.
After applications close, CBC/Radio-Canada will create a shortlist of finalists, which is expected to be revealed this autumn.
Canadian viewers will then be able to vote online after performance videos featuring the finalists are published. The public result will be combined with the assessment of a music-industry jury to determine Canada’s first Eurovision representative.
A historic Eurovision debut
Canada’s participation in 2027 will mark the country’s first appearance as a competing nation at the Eurovision Song Contest.
CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union earlier this year, making the broadcaster eligible to participate. Canada subsequently confirmed that it would make its debut in Bulgaria.
It will also become the first new country to join Eurovision since Australia debuted in 2015.
Canada already has a significant connection with Eurovision history. Several Canadian artists have represented European countries over the years, most famously Céline Dion, who won Eurovision 1988 for Switzerland with Ne partez pas sans moi.
This time, however, a Canadian artist will finally appear under the Canadian flag.
Canada’s road to Burgas begins
The opening of applications on 31 August will effectively mark the beginning of Canada’s first national Eurovision selection.
Once the winning performer is chosen, attention will turn towards creating Canada’s debut song and preparing the staging for Burgas.
Eurovision 2027 will take place at Arena Burgas, with the Semi-Finals scheduled for 11 and 13 May and the Grand Final on 15 May 2027.
For the first time in Eurovision’s 71-year history, one of the countries competing for a place in that Grand Final will be Canada.