Eurovision's Grand Final is here. Some wonder if Canada will ever change its tune on competing

If you haven't watched the Eurovision Song Contest before, you're missing a spectacle similar nary other. Countries from Europe — and beyond — vie with fiery performances and elaborate sets amid a oversea of fans, flags and nationalist pride.

Tens of millions astir the globe volition ticker Saturday's Grand Final from Basel, Switzerland, portion casting votes for their favourite opus and country. The taste phenomenon, which debuted successful 1956 and is present successful its 69th edition, is simply a week-long matter with musicians from 37 countries vying for the apical prize. 

Canadians person competed connected behalf of different countries and adjacent won, but we've ne'er officially taken part. An earlier propulsion to person Canada vie languished owed to concerns astir outgo and appetite, but it's garnering attraction again, particularly successful airy of a caller groundswell of national pride following U.S. President Donald Trump's comments astir making Canada the 51st state.

"It is virtually The Hunger Games of music," said Laurell Barker, a Canadian songwriter who wrote songs for the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland that made it to the 2019 final, which was won by The Netherlands. 

"I deliberation it would beryllium truthful monolithic for Canada to beryllium involved," Barker said. "There's truthful overmuch endowment present and we person truthful overmuch to accidental and truthful overmuch to stock and truthful overmuch emotion to give." 

IN PHOTOS | A look astatine immoderate of the acts competing successful Eurovision 2025:

Canadians vie for others — but not Canada

Though many Eurovision competitors don't spell connected to go planetary sensations, determination are immoderate notable exceptions, including Sweden's ABBA. They won successful 1974 with the opus Waterloo, and their triumph contributed to their everlasting popularity. 

Then there's Canada's assertion to Eurovision fame — Céline Dion who competed connected behalf of Switzerland successful 1988 and won with her show of Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Don't Leave Without Me). She was 20 astatine the clip and has credited Eurovision with helping catapult her to planetary superstardom. 

For artists, the accidental to beryllium featured successful beforehand of a immense planetary assemblage is priceless. 

"I don't deliberation determination is simply a amended unrecorded televised venue than Eurovision," said Barker. "To person radical singing the words and singing on and to beryllium successful the arena watching this each hap was truthful exhilarating." 

Karen Fricker, a Eurovision adept based successful Toronto who's been covering the contention for much than 20 years, says the argument for Canada to compete is bolstered by our beardown beingness successful the contention passim its history. 

"If we're bully capable to sing and triumph for different country, wherefore aren't we making the effort to tract our ain act," she asked.

"It's going to travel down to the volition of a broadcaster and the unit of a nationalist connected that broadcaster to beryllium pushing to accidental 'It's astir clip that Canada compete,' " Fricker said successful an interrogation from Basel. 

WATCH | Some privation Canada to instrumentality portion successful Eurovision. Here's why: 

Canada isn't successful Europe — but neither is Australia

Eurovision is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an confederation of nationalist broadcasters and nationalist work media. It has besides included countries successful Europe-adjacent countries successful occidental Asia — including Israel, which has participated successful the contention since 1973, arsenic good arsenic Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

Australia, immoderate 14,000 kilometres distant from Europe, began taking portion successful the contention 10 years agone erstwhile the EBU gave it peculiar support to participate. 

Australia's Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), an subordinate associate of the EBU, has been airing Eurovision since 1983, which Fricker says contributed to its huge pursuing there. 

"There has to beryllium a volition to join," Fricker said.

And though she's not definite however beardown that will is successful Canada, Fricker notes that the existent level of Canadian pridefulness successful the look of U.S. aggression could assistance revive interest successful Canada taking part.

"I mean, the United States has ne'er competed successful Eurovision either. And truthful this question of however tin we as North Americans play connected this stage, I think, is thing that truly needs to beryllium earnestly considered."

Canada's Eurovision quest

Toronto-based accumulation institution Insight Productions attempted to bring Canada into the Eurovision fold successful 2022, pitching a Eurovision Canada contention wherever musicians from each province and territory would vie nationally, with the victor representing Canada successful Europe. 

But determination wasn't buy-in astatine the clip from Canada's nationalist broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada. CBC is besides an subordinate associate of the EBU, which noted that it would beryllium the lone Canadian broadcaster "that could hypothetically anticipation to participate" successful Eurovision. 

Lindsay Cox, co-chief contented serviceman astatine Insight Productions, told The Canadian Press precocious that aft announcing their plans successful 2022 her squad realized "the complexity of a Canadian going to Europe and competing." 

However, she says the institution hasn't fixed up and is reworking its pitch.

WATCH | Montreal vocalist La Zarra sings in Eurovision 2023 finals representing France:

CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson told CBC News the broadcaster considered the anticipation and met with the stakeholder, but yet decided it was "prohibitively expensive." 

"In the end, [we] conscionable couldn't marque it enactment for us," helium said successful a statement. 

But a nationalist televised contention isn't indispensable successful bid to taxable an entry. According to the EBU, broadcasters tin invitation submissions oregon solicit artists and/or grounds labels. There tin besides beryllium a mixed format where the broadcaster chooses the performer, but the nationalist votes connected the song.  

Thompson confirmed to CBC News that the nationalist broadcaster has ne'er considered these options.

The economics of Eurovision

Taking portion successful Eurovision does travel with a ample terms tag. 

Entry fees vary from twelvemonth to twelvemonth and state to country, with the "strongest shoulders carrying the astir weight," according to the Eurovision website. 

The EBU told CBC News it does not merchandise the fees it charges, but Irish nationalist broadcaster RTÉ recently released the outgo of its participation. 

Last year, the broadcaster doled retired 389,999 euros (about $575,000 Cdn), which included its information fee, accumulation costs, transportation and accommodation.

LISTEN | Competing astatine Eurovision amid geo-political tensions:

The state that wins tends to host the adjacent competition, and that's wherever costs truly mount. 

Last year, Switzerland's Nemo won, so the Swiss metropolis of Basel is hosting Eurovision 2025. Basel approved public backing equivalent to $55 cardinal Cdn for hosting — a determination backed by conscionable nether 67 per cent of municipal voters successful a November referendum.

But determination tin beryllium a fiscal upside for big cities arsenic well.

In 2023, the British metropolis of Liverpool took over hosting duties from Ukraine, which won the contention successful 2022 months aft Russia's penetration and wasn't capable to big owed to the war. 

The outgo of hosting was estimated at about $24 million GBP (about $40 cardinal Cdn,) but according to an appraisal commissioned by Liverpool metropolis council, it resulted successful an economical boost of £55-million GBP (about $92 cardinal Cdn).

A accidental to physique relations with Europe

Fricker says participating successful Eurovision is a bit of a "chicken and ovum situation" due to the fact that a broadcaster can't cognize however large of an assemblage they tin attract until they try. 

But she besides points to Eurovision's roots successful post-Second World War unity and says determination are parallels contiguous with the displacement successful relations betwixt the U.S. and allies similar Europe and Canada. 

"A large mode to physique a narration with Europe is to enactment successful the opus contest," she said.

WATCH | Why researchers accidental there's much to Eurovision than the music: