Why one superfan thinks now is the right time for Canada's Eurovision debut
When it was announced that Canada would be entering the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, it was music to Matti McLean's ears.
A Canadian superfan of the international music competition, co-host of the Think About Eurovision podcast and creator of the Fringe Festival show A Canadian Explains Eurovision to Other Canadians, McLean says he has campaigned for years to make this moment a reality.
"The thing I've always loved [about Eurovision] is being able to take a glimpse into other countries, other people and their music," said McLean to As It Happens host Nil Köksal, explaining his obsession. "And Eurovision is just so wild. The things that they're able to do on stage, the crazy costumes, the extravagance of it that I just don't feel is seen anywhere else — it is literally the Olympics for music."
The announcement, fittingly made on Canada Day, comes less than a week after CBC confirmed it had been accepted as a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the contest.
McLean is far from the only Canadian captivated by the campy, over-the-top talent show. Last year, Canada ranked among the top three countries in the "Rest of the World" vote. Canadians were also among the biggest ticket buyers outside Europe, with many travelling to Vienna for the semifinals and grand final in May.
The appeal is easy to understand, given the show's track record for launching careers. Countries send some of their top musical acts to compete, and contestants including ABBA and Canada's own Céline Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988, have gone on to become global superstars.
In an industry where Canadian artists have often lived in the United States' shadow, McLean said he is excited for Canada to show the world it can be an artistic powerhouse in its own right.
Canada's debut also comes at a particularly fraught time for the competition. This year's contest is being held against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, with Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia all boycotting over Israel's participation.
Still, McLean told Köksal there is no better time for Canada to take part in what he calls the "Olympics for the arts."
Here is part of that conversation:
Matty, I mean, is this your dream come true?
This is an incredible experience — not just for me, feeling surreal with this whole situation, but also just a great opportunity for Canadian talent to really be seen on this completely new stage that I think is just really exciting.
You use the word surreal. Why do you think it's happening now?
Number one: geopolitical reasons, obviously, because the EBU has been facing some scrutiny over inclusion of certain countries. And as a result, they've lost some. So they are looking for other people to kind of fill in the ranks. But also, Canada is trying to distance ourselves from America, and, as a result, the best place for us to go is Europe.
This timing for Canada — I mean, it's still popular around the world, as we've said. But is it less popular than it was before? Is it losing the cachet that it has for some people? And not just because of this year's controversy — just, is it still relevant to as many people?
I think that the relevance is still there, but I think, to be honest, we are stepping into a bit of a quagmire situation here. There is a lot of damage that's been done to the contest and to the reputation of the EBU in general. So it's really hard to separate it. We cannot say that this contest is not political when it is. And when certain things are happening, it's really important that we do not brush those under the rug. They need to be confronted. So a lot of people are very unhappy with how this whole situation has been progressing since 2024, and probably even before that. So it does call into question a lot of the processes that are going on behind the scenes. But my heart will always go with the artists. My heart will always go with the individuals who have the potential to essentially change the world and to be a part of something that's bigger and better.
What do you tell people about what it is you love so much about the competition?
The thing I've always loved is being able to kind of take a glimpse into other countries, other people and their music. There is something really universal about being able to see someone and being able to hear someone and kind of experience the humanity of their lives reflected on stage. And Eurovision is just so wild. The things that they're able to do on stage, the crazy costumes, the extravagance of it — that I just don't feel is seen anywhere else. It is literally Olympics for music.
And spectacle. I mean, the camp, the gimmicks you mentioned — it is over the top, if nothing else. Which ones of the ones you've seen — have you filed away to say, okay, these are the ones that Canadian hopefuls need to watch and learn from?
Oh, we're looking for the classics here. Whenever you go to a Eurovision party, three names will always come up. Number one, Verka Serduchka, a Ukrainian drag act. It's definition camp. She steps out in this mirrorball dress with a tie — 69 on the back. It's just every way it could be possibly camp and too much; they said, "yes, let's add a little more." She is iconic. She is everything that Eurovision stands for; it's ridiculous. Number two is Lorine, the Queen — she will always be brought up. Then the one that recently gets brought up all the time is Käärijä — Cha Cha Cha. So those are probably the three that you are guaranteed to watch and can also 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 finish. It's crazy.
Do you think … for those who are thinking — even those among us in Canada — who are thinking we have great musical acts, great young talent, but I don't know if there's that level of camp and wildness and gimmick in them. What would you say?
I feel like Canada actually has a really good history of producing really great talent. We've got the camp down. Canada has a history of humor. Canada has a history of really great pop acts. We can send — like, in that case, let's send B44. Like, there are so many random, crazy options that we could dig up or present in such a new and fun way that I think it's a really staggering opportunity to think of what is possible.
Do you think we can win the first year we're competing?
Honestly, it's not likely. I'm going to say why: the only country that has done that is Serbia. They entered in 2008. They won the first year, but they had already been competing for the past few years under Serbia and Montenegro together and have been consistently doing well there. The country that has come closest since then has been Australia, which premiered in 2015 and, in 2016, they came second. So it's not impossible, because Bulgaria this year, after taking a couple of years off, did come back and they did win. So can we win on our first go? I mean, anything's possible.
How far off might be Canada hosting Eurovision? I mean, can you envision that?
It'll be a "when," not an "if." There's also a lot of opportunity here for us to step in because, like, Canada really is a worldwide artistic powerhouse.
And we do not take that for granted. But we also don't give ourselves enough credit for it. We do do things very, very well, and music is one of them. And the opportunity here is enormous, and I think it'd be foolish to pass it up.
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