As It Happened6:55Canada is joining Eurovision and this big fan explains why this is such big news
Canada officially joins the phenomenon known as Eurovision. And the Canadian behind the show “A Canadian Explains Eurovision To Other Canadians” tells As It Happens host Nil Koksal–and strangers–why it's such a big news.
When it was announced that Canada would enter the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, it was music to Matti McLean's ears.
Canada's biggest fan of the international music competition, host of the Think Eurovision podcast and Fringe Festival show creator A Canadian Explains Eurovision to other CanadiansMcLean says he has campaigned for years to make this moment a reality.
“It's something I've loved for a long time [about Eurovision] you can see other countries, other people and their music,” said McLean As It Happened hosted by Nil Köksal, explaining his obsession. “And Eurovision is so dangerous. The things they can do on stage, the crazy costumes, the glamor of it that I don't think can be seen anywhere else – it's literally the Olympics of music.”
The announcement, fittingly made on Canada Day, comes less than a week after the CBC confirmed it has been accepted as a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the competition.
McLean is not the only Canadian to have been drawn to the camp, a high-profile talent show. Last year, Canada was ranked among the top three countries in the “Worldwide” poll. Canadians were also among the biggest ticket buyers outside of Europe, with many traveling to Vienna for the semi-finals and grand final in May.
The request is easy to understand, given the show's track record of launching operations. Countries send some of their top songs to compete, and contestants including ABBA and Canada's Céline Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988, have gone on to become world champions.
In an industry where Canadian artists often live in America's shadow, McLean said he is happy that Canada has shown the world that it can be an artistic hub in its own right.
Canada's debut also comes at a very difficult time in the tournament. This year's competition was held against the background of the country's tensions, with Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia all boycotting Israel's participation.
Still, McLean said Köksal there is no better time for Canada to participate in what he calls the “Olympics of the arts.”
Here is part of that conversation:
Matty, I mean is this dream of yours coming true?
This is an amazing thing – not only for me, I feel surreal about this whole situation, but it's also just a great opportunity for Canadian talent to be seen in this completely new category that I think is really exciting.
He uses the word surreal. Why do you think it's happening now?
Number one: geopolitical reasons, obviously, because the EBU has been facing some scrutiny regarding the inclusion of certain countries. And because of that, they have lost something. So they want other people to fill the ranks. But again, Canada is trying to distance itself from America, and, because of that, the best place to go is Europe.
Israel has been kicked out of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after the European Broadcasting Union said a majority of members did not want a vote to participate, prompting four countries – the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia – to boycott the contest over the war in Gaza.
This time in Canada – I mean, it's still popular around the world, as we said. But is it less popular than before? Does it lose the cache it has for other people? And not just because of this year's controversy – just, does it still matter to most people?
I think the relevance is still there, but I think, to be honest, we're getting into a very bad situation here. A lot of damage has been done to the competition and to the reputation of the EBU in general. So it's really hard to separate it. We cannot say that this competition is not political if it is. And when certain things happen, it's very important that we don't brush these things under the rug. They need to face each other. So a lot of people were very unhappy with how this whole situation was going from 2024, and maybe even before that. So it raises a lot of questions about the processes going on behind the scenes. But my heart will always be with the musicians. My heart will always be with people who have the power to change the world and be part of something bigger and better.
What do you tell people about the thing you love most about the competition?
Something I always liked was being able to watch other countries, other people and their music. There's something universal about being able to see someone and being able to hear someone and kind of experience the personality of their life reflected on stage. And Eurovision is very dangerous. The things they are able to do on stage, the crazy costumes, the glamor of it — which I feel is not seen anywhere else. It's literally the Olympics of music.
And a spectacle. I mean, the camp, the tricks you mentioned – it's top notch, if nothing else. Which of those did you see – did you put in to say, okay, those are the Canadian prospects that they need to watch and learn from?
Oh, we're looking for classics here. Whenever you go to a Eurovision party, three words will always come up. Number one, Verka Serduchka, Ukrainian drag act. Camp to explain. She comes out wearing this mirror dress with a tie — 69 in the back. It's just about every way camping can be and there's so much more; they said, “yeah, let's add a little more.” He is an icon. You are everything Eurovision stands for; it's funny. Number two is Lorine, the Queen – will always be raised. Then the one who has just been brought up all the time Käärijä – No No No. So those are the three that you're guaranteed to watch and they can give you, like, a really wide net in terms of things to start with, because it goes from, like, super campy soul to, like, this heavy metal dance pop end. It's crazy.
WATCH | Natasha St-Pier performs at Eurovision:
You think that … for those who think – even those of us in Canada – who think that we have great music, great young talent, but I don't know if there's that level of camp and craziness and delusion in it. What can you say?
I feel like Canada has a really good history of producing great talent. We made camp on the ground. Canada has a history of comedy. Canada has a history of great pop acts. We can send — like, if so, let's send B44. Like, there are so many random, crazy options that we can explore or express in a new and exciting way that I think it's a really amazing opportunity to think about what's possible.
Do you think we can win the first year competing?
Honestly, it's impossible. I will say why: the only country that has done that is Serbia. They joined in 2008. They won the first year, but they've been competing for the past few years under Serbia and Montenegro together and they've always done well there. The closest country since then has been Australia, which debuted in 2015 and, in 2016, came second. So it's impossible, because Bulgaria this year, after taking a break for a few years, came back and won. So can we win on our first go? I mean, anything can happen.
How far is Canada from hosting Eurovision? I mean, can you imagine that?
It will be “when,” not “if.” There's also a lot of opportunity here for us to step in because, like, Canada is a global powerhouse in the arts.
And we don't take that for granted. But we also don't give ourselves enough credit for it. We do things very well, and music is one of them. And the opportunity here is huge, and I think it would be foolish to pass it up.
