In a seismic shift for the contest, Canada has been granted eligibility to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, a move that has received strong backing from the UK government. The decision, announced this morning by the European Broadcasting Union, overturns the long-standing rule that only members of the European Broadcasting Union can participate. Canada’s inclusion marks the first time a non-European nation will compete in the main event, signalling a new era for the competition.
For the average worker in Grimsby or Glasgow, this might seem like a distraction from the grinding reality of rising energy bills and stagnant wages. But there is a real economy dimension here. The contest’s expansion is a cultural trade deal. It opens up a new market for British songwriters, producers and performers who have long seen Eurovision as a gateway to European audiences. The UK’s backing is a strategic move: it strengthens cultural ties with Canada at a time when trade negotiations are faltering, and it bolsters the UK’s position as a global hub for creative industries.
The decision will not happen overnight. The European Broadcasting Union says it will allow Canada to compete beginning in 2025, with a dedicated selection process. The Canadian broadcaster, which has aired Eurovision for decades, will now submit entries. For Britons, this means more competition for the top spot, but also more potential for collaboration. The BBC, which has struggled to produce winning entries in recent years, could now look to co-produce with Canadian talent.
But the timing is interesting. Canada’s entry comes when the cost of living crisis is biting hard across the UK. The creative sector has been hit by a 30% drop in advertising revenue for commercial broadcasters. Eurovision itself has seen its budget squeezed. The expansion could bring in new sponsorship dollars from North America, but there is a risk that the contest becomes less distinct, more corporate, more disconnected from the grassroots music scenes that gave it life.
There is also the question of regional inequality. Eurovision’s winner takes all: the host nation enjoys a tourism boom, but the UK outside London sees little of that. If Canada becomes a regular contender, the UK’s chances of hosting the contest might diminish further. The last time the UK hosted was in 2023, after Sam Ryder’s second place. Since then, the country has slipped down the rankings. The UK’s support for Canada’s entry might be a strategic retreat, a way to keep the contest relevant while admitting that British entries are no longer guaranteed winners.
For now, the news is being welcomed by the music industry. The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors called it a ‘bold step that reflects the globalised nature of pop music’. But on the streets of Manchester, few are celebrating. A woman outside the Arndale Centre, waiting for a bus, summed it up: ‘I don’t care about Canada in Eurovision. I care about the price of a loaf of bread.’
The contest’s expansion is a cultural decision, but it is also a political one. It signals that the UK is willing to champion a more open, outward-looking contest even as it tries to navigate its post-Brexit identity. Whether that trickles down to the kitchen table is another matter. For now, the tills will ring for the music industry, but the working class will be watching from the sidelines, wondering if any of this will make their weekly shop cheaper.
