🎤 How to Participate and Vote in the Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest, one of the world’s largest and most-watched music competitions, has long been a celebration of musical diversity, cultural exchange, and international unity. With millions tuning in each year, one question remains on many minds: How does a country enter—and win—on this prestigious global stage?
🌍 Who Can Participate in Eurovision?
Despite its name, Eurovision isn’t limited to European countries. Any broadcaster that is a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is eligible to take part. This has opened the door to countries such as Israel, Azerbaijan, and notably Australia, which has been invited to compete since 2015 thanks to its passionate Eurovision fan base.
📩 Submitting a Song and Selecting an Artist
✅ Each participating country submits one original song, specifically composed for the contest.
✅ The song must be unreleased to the public before the official cutoff date (typically September 1 of the previous year).
✅ Songs must be no longer than three minutes in duration, and each live performance can feature up to six performers on stage.
Countries may select their entry either through a national selection competition (like Sweden’s Melodifestivalen) or via internal selection by their national broadcaster.
🎤 Show Structure: From Semifinals to the Grand Final
The Eurovision Song Contest consists of three live televised shows:
- Semifinal 1
- Semifinal 2
- Grand Final
⏩ Each semifinal determines 10 qualifiers, leading to a total of 20 countries advancing to the final round.
⏩ The Grand Final features 26 acts, including:
- The 20 semifinal qualifiers
- The "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK), who automatically qualify due to their major financial contributions to the contest
- The host country, which won the previous year’s contest
🗳️ The Voting System: Transparent and Thrilling
Scoring is based on a dual system, with equal weight:
- 50% from professional juries in each country (made up of five music industry experts)
- 50% from public televoting, which allows fans to vote via SMS, phone calls, or the official Eurovision app
Countries cannot vote for their own entries.
➡️ Each country awards points to its top 10 favorite acts using the standard scale: 1–8 points, then 10 and finally 12 points for the favorite.
➡️ Jury scores are announced first, followed by the public vote results, which are revealed in a dramatic sequence that often leads to unexpected twists and emotional moments.
🌟 Unique Features That Make Eurovision Special
- The “Big Five” countries always secure a place in the Grand Final.
- Australia, though not geographically in Europe, has participated regularly since 2015.
- The contest has been a launching pad for global stars, including ABBA (Sweden, 1974) and Celine Dion (Switzerland, 1988).
Eurovision is more than just a music competition—it's a global celebration of creativity, inclusion, and cultural identity. Competing (and winning) requires more than just a catchy tune; it demands a captivating stage performance, strong national support, and the ability to connect with both professional juries and millions of fans across the globe.
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