Liechtenstein In The Eurovision Song Contest
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Broadcasters from fifty-two countries have participated in the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
since it started in 1956, with winning songs coming from twenty-seven of those countries. The contest, organised by the
European Broadcasting Union The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; , UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) or who are member states of the Council of Europe, members of the ...
(EBU), is held annually between members of the union who participate representing their countries. Broadcasters submit songs to the event where they are performed live by the performer(s) they had selected and cast votes to determine the winning song of the competition. Participation in the contest is primarily open to all broadcasters with active EBU membership, with only one entrant per country allowed in any given year. To become an active member of the EBU, a broadcaster has to be from a country which is covered by the
European Broadcasting Area The European Broadcasting Area (EBA) is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as such:
– that is not limited only to the continent of Europe–, or is a member state of the
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...
. Thus, eligibility is not determined by geographic inclusion within Europe, despite the "Euro" in "Eurovision", nor does it have a direct connection with the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
. Several countries geographically outside the boundaries of Europe have been represented in the contest: Israel, Cyprus, and Armenia, in Western Asia, since , , and respectively; Morocco, in North Africa, in the alone; and Australia making a debut in the . In addition, several
transcontinental countries This is a list of countries with territory that straddles more than one continent, known as transcontinental states or intercontinental states. Contiguous transcontinental countries are states that have one continuous or immediately-adjacent pie ...
with only part of their territory in Europe have been represented: Turkey, from to ; Russia, from to ; Georgia, since ; and Azerbaijan, since . Two of the countries that have previously sought to enter the competition, Lebanon and Tunisia, in Western Asia and North Africa respectively, are also outside of Europe. A broadcaster from the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
state of Qatar, in Western Asia, announced in 2009 its interest in joining the contest in time for the 2011 edition. However, this did not materialise, and there are no known plans for a future Qatari entry. Australia, where the contest has been broadcast since the 1970s, has been represented every year since its debut in 2015, as its broadcaster is an EBU associate member and had received special approval from the contest's Reference Group. The number of countries represented each year has grown steadily, from seven in 1956 to over twenty in the late 1980s. A record forty-three countries participated in 2008, 2011, and 2018. As the number of contestants has risen, preliminary competitions and relegation have been introduced, to ensure that as many countries as possible get the chance to compete. In 1993, a preliminary show, ''
Kvalifikacija za Millstreet (; ) was a televised song contest held as a qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1993. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster (RTVSLO), the contest was held on 3 April 1993 in Studio 1 of in Ljubl ...
'' ("Qualification for Millstreet"), was held to select three Eastern European countries to compete for the first time in the main contest. After the 1993 contest, a relegation rule was introduced: the six lowest-placed countries in the contest would not compete in the following year. In 1996, a new system was introduced. Audiotapes of all twenty-nine entrants were submitted to national juries. The twenty-two highest-placed songs after the juries voted reached the contest. Norway, as the host country, directly qualified for the final. From 1997 to 2001, a system was used whereby the countries with the lowest average scores over the previous five years were relegated. Countries could not be relegated for more than one year at a time. The relegation system used in 1994 and 1995 was used again between 2001 and 2003. Since 1999, the winning country in the previous year's contest automatically qualifies for the following year's final, along with the " Big Four/Five" — those countries whose broadcasters are the largest financial contributors to the EBU. In 2004, a semi-final was introduced. In addition to the Big Four, the countries that were in the top 10 the previous year received a bye and qualified directly for the final. A further ten countries qualified from the semi-final, making a total of 24 in the final. Since 2008, two semi-finals are held with all countries, except the previous year's winner and the "Big Four/Five", participating in one of the semi-finals.European Broadcasting Union (1 October 2007)
Two semi-finals Eurovision Song Contest 2008
. Retrieved on 2 February 2008.
Some countries, such as Germany, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, have entered most years, while Morocco has only entered once. Two countries, Tunisia and Lebanon, have attempted to enter the contest but withdrew before making a debut.


Participants

The following table lists the countries with a broadcaster that have participated in the contest at least once, up to 2025. Planned entries for the cancelled and entries that failed to qualify in the qualification rounds in or are not counted. Shading indicates countries whose broadcaster have withdrawn from the contest or former participants that are unable to compete in future contests.
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
and
Serbia and Montenegro The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...
were both dissolved, in 1991 and 2006 respectively. Serbia and Montenegro participated in the 1992 contest as the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...
, which consisted of only those two republics. Montenegro and Serbia have each competed as separate countries since 2007. The Belarusian broadcaster BTRC was expelled from the EBU in July 2021, preventing them from competing in future editions of the contest, or any EBU event indefinitely. Following the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
and subsequent exclusion of Russia from the 2022 contest, the Russian broadcasters
VGTRK The Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (RTR) or Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, also known as Russia Television and Radio, is a national state-owned broadcaster which operates many television and radio channel ...
and Channel One announced their intention to withdraw their EBU membership in February 2022 and were suspended from the union in May, preventing Russia from competing in future editions of the contest, or any EBU event for an indefinite period of time.


Other EBU members

The following countries have (or had) broadcasters eligible to participate in the contest, but have never done so: * – EPTV, ENRS, TDA * – ČST (1991–1992, dissolved) * –
ERTU The National Media Authority (), formerly known as Egyptian State Broadcasting (ESU; ), is the public broadcaster of Egypt, operated by the Egyptian government. It is a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Arab States Broadca ...
* –
JRTV Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) is the state broadcaster of Jordan. It was formed in 1985 after the merger between Jordan Radio and Jordan Television. Jordan's first radio broadcasts were received from other countries in the Mid ...
* – TL * – LJBC (1974–2011), LNC (2011–present) * – RTT * – RV Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, and Tunisia have broadcasters that are members of both the EBU and the
Arab States Broadcasting Union The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU; ) is an Arab joint-action institution related to the League of Arab States and the Pan-Arab Association of Public Service and Commercial Broadcasters. Founded in February 1969 in Khartoum, ASBU is a profe ...
(ASBU). Although they could participate, it is believed that they refuse to do so due to the ongoing participation of Israel. However, Tunisia and Lebanon attempted to compete in and respectively.
Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...
could participate through its member broadcaster
Vatican Radio Vatican Radio (; ) is the official broadcasting service of Vatican City. Established in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave, DRM, medium wave, FM, satellite and the Internet. ...
(RV), which was also a founding member of the EBU, though RV only broadcasts papal events, and the population is less than 900the vast majority of whom are
clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
. Following the
dissolution of Czechoslovakia The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on December 31, 1992, was the Self-determination, self-determined Partition (politics), partition of the federal republic of Fifth Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovakia into the independent ...
in 1993,
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
and the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
made their debut as independent states in 1994 and 2007 respectively.


Lebanon

Lebanon has never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Télé Liban Télé Liban (also known as TL, ) is the first Lebanese public television network, owned by the Lebanese government. It was a result of a merger of the privately run Compagnie Libanaise de Télévision (CLT) (channels 7 and 9) and Télé-Orient ...
(TL), was set to make the country's debut at the
Eurovision Song Contest 2005 The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, following the country's victory at the with the song "Wild Dances" by Ruslana. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union ( ...
with the song "Quand tout s'enfuit" performed by
Aline Lahoud Aline Lahoud (; born 2 March 1981) is a Lebanese singer. Life Lahoud's parents are Salwa Al Katrib and producer Nahi Lahoud. She studied singing and dramatic art from 2002 until 2006. In 2006, she received a BA degree in Communication Arts, ...
, but withdrew due to Lebanon's laws banning the broadcast of Israeli content.


Scotland

On 18 December 2018, it was announced that Scotland would enter a Eurovision contest for the first time as an independent country. The
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
broadcaster,
BBC Alba BBC Alba is a Scottish Gaelic-language free-to-air public broadcast television channel jointly owned by the BBC and MG Alba. The channel was launched on 19 September 2008 and is on-air for up to seven hours a day. The name ' is the Scottish Gae ...
, would debut at
Eurovision Choir Eurovision Choir (formerly Eurovision Choir of the Year) was a choral competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and . It is modeled after the latter's World Choir Games. Participation is open to non-professional choirs sel ...
in , which was held in
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
, Sweden. However, they did not progress beyond the semi-final. This was the first time Scotland had competed separately from the United Kingdom in a Eurovision event. The Scottish Media Group (STV) is a full European Broadcasting Union (EBU) member. Its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest would represent Scotland. As in other Eurovision events, it can only happen if the BBC renounces its right to represent the United Kingdom as a whole. In 2020, speculation had arisen about Scotland debuting at the
Junior Eurovision Song Contest The Junior Eurovision Song Contest, often known simply as Junior Eurovision, is an international children's Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 2003. Each part ...
in a similar manner in which
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
had participated at the
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the sixteenth edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, organised by the National State Television and Radio Company of Belarus, Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC) and the European Broa ...
. BBC Alba confirmed that, despite engaging in discussion with the EBU about Scotland participating, that Scotland had no plans to enter the junior contest that year. Scottish entry to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest has since been considered a possibility in the subsequent contests, however, as of 2024, Scotland has still to formally debut at the contest.


Tunisia

Établissement de la radiodiffusion-télévision tunisienne (ERTT) attempted to enter the 1977 edition representing Tunisia and was scheduled fourth in the running order; however, before selecting an act, it withdrew for undisclosed reasons. It is believed that it did not want to compete with Israel. In 2007, ERTT clarified that it would not participate in the contest in the foreseeable future due to government requests.


Wales

In the 1960s, the late Welsh singer, scholar, and writer
Meredydd Evans Meredydd Evans (9 December 1919 – 21 February 2015), known colloquially as Merêd, was a collector, editor, historian and performer of folk music of Wales. A major figure in Welsh media for over half a century, Evans has been described as influ ...
proposed that Wales should have its own entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1969, ''
Cân i Gymru ''Cân i Gymru'' (English: ''A Song for Wales'', ) is a Welsh-language television talent competition that is broadcast annually on S4C. It was first introduced in 1969 when BBC Cymru wanted to enter the Eurovision Song Contest. The winner of ...
'' was launched by
BBC Cymru Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcasting, public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, ...
as a selection show for the contest, with songs to be performed in Welsh. However, it was decided that the BBC would continue to send one entry for the whole of the United Kingdom. Despite this, ''Cân i Gymru'' has been broadcast every year since, with the exception of 1973. The winning song takes part in the annual
Pan Celtic Festival The Pan Celtic Festival (; ; ; ; ; ) is a Celtic-language festival held annually in the week following Easter, in Ireland, since its inauguration in 1971. The first Pan Celtic Festival took place in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. Its aim is ...
in Ireland. Wales has appeared as an independent country in another EBU production, ''
Jeux sans frontières ''Jeux sans frontières'' (; "Games Without Frontiers" in French) is an international television competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for thirty seasons, from 1965 to 1999, between members of the union who participated ...
'', and Welsh national broadcaster Sianel Pedwar Cymru (S4C), that is a full EBU member, has been encouraged the
Junior Eurovision Song Contest The Junior Eurovision Song Contest, often known simply as Junior Eurovision, is an international children's Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 2003. Each part ...
, where it made its debut in , finishing in last place. Wales participated in the inaugural
Eurovision Choir Eurovision Choir (formerly Eurovision Choir of the Year) was a choral competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and . It is modeled after the latter's World Choir Games. Participation is open to non-professional choirs sel ...
in , where it finished second. The country is also eligible to take part in the minority language song contest
Liet-Lávlut Liet International (), formerly Liet-Lávlut, is an international music competition for songs in European minority and regional languages. The inaugural edition took place on 28 April 2002 as a spin-off of the West Frisian-language song conte ...
. In May 2024, a campaign was started by record label Coco & Cwtshto which ''Cân i Gymru'' winner Sara Davies is signedfor Wales to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest; however, as in other Eurovision events, this can only happen if the BBC renounces to its right to represent the United Kingdom as a whole.


Participating countries by decade

The table lists the participating countries in each decade since the first Eurovision Song Contest was held in 1956. Seven countries participated in the first contest. Since then, the number of entries has increased steadily. In 1961, three countries debuted, Finland, Spain, and Yugoslavia, joining the thirteen already included. Yugoslavia would become the only socialist country to participate in the following three decades. In 1970, a Nordic-led boycott of the contest reduced the number of countries entering to twelve. By the late 1980s, over twenty countries had become standard. In 1993, the collapse of the
USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
in Eastern Europe and the subsequent merger of EBU and the
International Radio and Television Organisation The International Radio and Television Organisation (official name in French: Organisation Internationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision or OIRT (before 1960 International Broadcasting Organization (IBO), official name in French: ''Organ ...
(OIRT) gave numerous broadcasters from new countries the opportunity to compete. Three countries—Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, all of them former Yugoslav republics—went through a pre-qualifier round to compete. After the 1993 event, a relegation system was introduced, allowing more Eastern European countries to compete, with seven more making their debut in 1994. In 2003, broadcasters from four countries applied to make their debut: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. In addition, Serbia and Montenegro, who had not competed since 1992 when they competed as Yugoslavia, applied to debut. The EBU, having originally accepted the five countries' applications, later rejected all but Ukraine; allowing five further countries to compete would have meant relegating too many countries. The semi-final was introduced in 2004 in an attempt to prevent situations like this. The EBU set a limit of forty countries, but by 2005, thirty-nine were competing. In 2007, the EBU lifted the limit, allowing forty-two countries to compete. Two semi-finals were held for the first time in 2008.


1956–1959


1960–1969


1970–1979


1980–1989


1990–1999


2000–2009


2010–2019


2020–2025


Other countries and territories

A number of broadcasters in non-participating countries and territories have in the past indicated an interest in participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. For broadcasters to participate, they must be a member of the EBU and register their intention to compete before the deadline specified in the
rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule pertaining to the structure or behavior internal to a business * School rule, a rule tha ...
of that year's event. Each participating broadcaster pays a fee towards the organisation of the contest. Should a country withdraw from the contest after the deadline, they will still need to pay these fees, and may also incur a fine or temporary ban.


Canada

Canada aired the contest sporadically throughout the decades since 1977. Canada took part in Eurovision Young Dancers 1987 and
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
. In 2022, a Canadian spin-off of Eurovision was announced, titled Eurovision Canada, set to debut in 2023. In 2023, it was announced that the contest was "taking a step back". In 2025,
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
(CBC), the broadcaster that was set to broadcast Eurovision Canada, reported that the co-chief of Insight Productions, Lindsay Cox, stated that after preparations began her team realised "the complexity of a Canadian going to Europe and competing", but stated that the contest would be repitched in 2025. Several days later, CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson stated that Eurovision Canada was deemed too expensive, but that a televised selection is not a requirement for selecting an entry for Eurovision; however, he confirmed that the broadcaster never considered internally selecting an entry as an option.


China

China aired the
Eurovision Song Contest 2015 The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst. Organised by the European Broa ...
and then Chinese provincial television channel
Hunan Television Hunan Television or Hunan TV () is a state-owned provincial satellite TV station launched on September 29, 1970. It is currently China's second-most-watched television channel, second to China Central Television's CCTV-1, although Hunan TV has oc ...
had confirmed its interest in participating in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2016 The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Heroes (Måns Zelmerlöw song), Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw. Organis ...
. The EBU had responded saying "we are open and are always looking for new elements in each Eurovision Song Contest". However, on 3 June 2015, the EBU denied that China would participate as a guest or full participant in 2016. During the Chinese broadcast of the 2018 contest's first semi-final on
Mango TV Mango TV (芒果TV, ''Mángguǒ TV''; MGTV) is a Chinese video streaming platform under Mango Excellent Media, which is controlled by Hunan Broadcasting System. Mango TV was established on May 26, 2006, in Changsha, Hunan and later decided to use ...
, both and were edited out of the show, along with their snippets in the recap of all nineteen entries. Albania was skipped due to a ban that took effect in January 2018 prohibiting showing on television performers with tattoos while Ireland was
censored Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...
due to its representation of a homosexual couple on-stage. In addition, the
LGBT flag LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...
and tattoos on other performers were also blurred out from the broadcast. As a result, the EBU terminated its partnership with Mango TV, citing that censorship "is not in line with the EBU's values of universality and inclusivity and its proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music," which led to a ban on televising the second semi-final and the final in the country. A spokesperson for the broadcaster's parent company
Hunan TV Hunan Television or Hunan TV () is a state-owned provincial satellite TV station launched on September 29, 1970. It is currently China's second-most-watched television channel, second to China Central Television's CCTV-1, although Hunan TV has oc ...
said they "weren't aware" of the edits made to the programme.


Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands had broadcast the contest since SVF's inception in 1984 until 2002. Since 2010, the Faroese national broadcaster
Kringvarp Føroya (; KVF) is the national public broadcasting company of the Faroe Islands. It was founded on 1 January 2005 after a merger of the national radio and television networks and . History Útvarp Føroya ("Radio of the Faroe Islands"; ÚF) was ...
(KVF) has been attempting to gain EBU membership and thus participate independently in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, KVF has so far been denied EBU membership due to the islands being a constituent part of the
Danish Realm The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitution of Denmark, Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territor ...
. In late 2018, KVF showed renewed interest in joining the EBU and participating in the contest. According to the broadcaster, it was not excluded by the rule that only independent nations can join, and as a result, the Faroese broadcaster started internal discussions on applying for EBU membership and participating in the contest, and additionally organising a national final similar to
Dansk Melodi Grand Prix Dansk Melodi Grand Prix (), also known as Melodi Grand Prix or simply DMGP, is an annual music competition organised by the Danish public broadcaster DR since 1957, which determines for the Eurovision Song Contest. The festival has produced ...
. The first Faroese artist to compete in the contest was Reiley, who in . Contextually to his participation, KVF, backed by Minister of Social Affairs and Culture
Sirið Stenberg Sirið Stenberg (born 26 May 1968 in Vágur) is a Faroese politician. She finished her education as a nurse in 1994 and as a nurse in neonatalalogy in 1998 and as a nurse with special knowledge of children from 0-7 (''Heilsufrøðingur'' in Faroe ...
, resumed its attempts to gain full EBU membership. In May 2023, KVF announced that it would apply for EBU membership before the summer, with the initial aim of obtaining the status of an associate member. In mid-February 2024, ahead of Faroese singer Janus Wiberg's participation in ''
Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2024 Denmark was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "Sand", written by Jonas Thander, Melanie Wehbe, and Pil Kalinka Nygaard Jeppesen, and performed by Saba. The Danish participating broadcaster, the Danish Broadcasting ...
'', KVF stated that a five-year plan was being deployed in order to gain EBU membership.


Gibraltar

Gibraltar had reportedly broadcast the contest in 1986. Since 2006, the
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation The Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) is Gibraltar's public service broadcaster. It has provided the community with a radio and television service since 1962. History Modelled on the BBC, the Corporation was established in 1963 with t ...
(GBC) has been attempting to gain EBU membership and thus participate independently in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, GBC cannot obtain EBU membership due to the
British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...
not being independent from the United Kingdom. The final of the contest was broadcast in Gibraltar between and .


Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest.
K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...
is negotiating to join the European Broadcasting Union. It has been hoping for pending or approved EBU membership since 2008. If this happens, they may be eligible to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. Nevertheless, they have broadcast the Eurovision Song Contests from onwards. However, according to the EBU, no Kazakh broadcaster has ever formally applied to join the EBU. On 18 December 2015, it was announced that
Khabar Agency The Khabar Agency (KA) (, ; ) is a major media outlet in Kazakhstan. It was established in 1995, known originally as the National Television News Agency (Khabar is ''News'' in Kazakh). It is currently one of the largest networks in the country, a ...
, a major media outlet in Kazakhstan, had been accepted into the EBU as an associate member, but were still not eligible to take part in the contest under the current rules. Only countries which are part of the European Broadcasting Area are eligible to participate, with Australia being the only exception after its broadcaster being an associate member for over thirty years. On 22 December 2017, Channel 31 announced that they planned to debut in the 2019 contest, due to their new EBU membership. Kazakhstan made its debut at the
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the sixteenth edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, organised by the National State Television and Radio Company of Belarus, Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC) and the European Broa ...
alongside , placing sixth. On 30 July 2018, the EBU stated that the decision to invite Kazakhstan was made solely by the Junior Eurovision Steering Group, and there were no current plans to invite associate members other than Australia. On 22 November 2018, the then executive supervisor of the contest,
Jon Ola Sand Jon Ola Sand (; born 21 December 1961) is a Norway, Norwegian television executive. He was the European Broadcasting Union's Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest from Eurovision Song Contest 2011, 2011 to Eurovision Song Contest 20 ...
, stated in a press conference that "we need to discuss if we can invite our associate member Kazakhstan to take part in the adult ESC in the future, but this is part of a broader discussion in the EBU and I hope we can get back to you on this issue later." However, Sand later clarified that Kazakhstan would not have an entry in the 2019 edition. Khabar Agency has not broadcast the contest since due to low viewership and the time zone difference.


Kosovo

Kosovo has never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest on its own, but the contest has had a long history within the country, which has broadcast it since 1976. After the start of Kosovo's UN administration, the Kosovan public broadcaster RTK was independently licensed by the EBU to broadcast all three shows. Despite not having participated in the song contest, Kosovo did participate in the Eurovision Young Dancers 2011 and the
Turkvision Song Contest The Turkvision Song Contest (TSC, ), also known as the Türkvizyon Song Contest, has been a recurring song contest created by Turkish music channel TMB TV, inspired by the format of the Eurovision Song Contest. The first edition took place in ...
. As Kosovo is not a member state of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
and RTK not a member of the
International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)In the other common languages of the ITU: * * is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information ...
, RTK cannot apply to become a full member of the EBU. was the national pre-selection of
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
organised by the Yugoslav broadcaster
Yugoslav Radio Television Yugoslav Radio Television (''Jugoslavenska radiotelevizija''/Југословенска радиотелевизија or ''Jugoslavenska radio-televizija''/Југословенска радио-телевизија; JRT/ЈРТ) was the national ...
(JRT) since 1961 and it featured entries submitted by the subnational public broadcasting centres based in the capitals of each of the constituent republics and
autonomous provinces In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be def ...
. Each broadcasting centre had its own regional jury.
SAP Kosovo The Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo, Социјалистичка Аутономна Покрајина Косово, separator=" / "; ; . Also abbreviated as SAP Kosovo. referre ...
was represented by RTV Priština, but their entry never won. '' Jugovizija 1986'' was organised by RTV Priština. Before the Kosovo declaration of independence in 2008,
Viktorija Viktorija may refer to: * Viktorija (given name), including a list of people with this name * Viktorija (singer), Serbian singer See also * Viktoriya * Viktoria (disambiguation) * Victoria (disambiguation) * Viktor (disambiguation) * Victor (disam ...
, a singer from
Vučitrn Vushtrri ( sq-definite, Vushtrria; sr-Cyrl, Вучитрн, ''Vučitrn'') is a city and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. According to the 2024 census, the town of Vushtrri has 28,150 inhabitants, while the municipality ...
, represented Yugoslavia as part of Aska in ; and
Nevena Božović Nevena Ivanović ( sr-Cyrl, Невена Ивановић, ; [] ; born 15 June 1994) is a Serbian singer and songwriter. She made her singing debut by Serbia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007, representing Serbia at the Junior Eurovisio ...
, who is from Mitrovica, represented Serbia in the
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the fifth edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in the Ahoy indoor sporting arena in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 8 December. The host country was chosen by the European Broadcasti ...
. After the
breakup of Yugoslavia After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split apart in the early 1990s. Unresolved issues from the breakup caused a series of inter-ethnic Yugoslav ...
, numerous
Kosovo Albanian The Albanians of Kosovo (, ), also commonly called Kosovo Albanians, Kosovan Albanians or Kosovars (), constitute the largest ethnic group in Kosovo. Kosovo Albanians belong to the ethnic Albanian sub-group of Ghegs, who inhabit the north of ...
singers have participated at the , the for Eurovision organised by
RTSH Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (; ; formerly TVSH , now mostly referred to as RTSH ) is the national public broadcasting company of Albania. Founded in 1938, it operates several radio and television channels, over a domestic transmitter network as we ...
. The most notable participants to date are
Rona Nishliu Rona Nishliu (born 25 August 1986) is a Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter. She came to international prominence after representing Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she placed fifth and achieved the best ...
, Lindita, and Albina Kelmendi and her family, who represented Albania in , and , respectively. Numerous
Kosovo Serb Kosovo Serbs form the largest ethnic minority group in Kosovo (5–6%). The precise number of Kosovo Serbs is difficult to determine as they have boycotted national censuses. However, it is estimated that there are about 95,000 of them, nearly ...
singers have participated in organised by
RTS RTS may refer to: Medicine * Rape trauma syndrome, the psychological trauma experienced by a rape victim * Revised Trauma Score, a system to evaluate injuries secondary to violent trauma * Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome, a condition characterized by ...
. Nevena Božović also represented Serbia as a member of
Moje 3 Moje 3 ( sr-cyr, Моје 3; English: ''My 3'') was a Serbian girl group consisting of Mirna Radulović, Nevena Božović and Sara Jovanović. They represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö with the song " Ljubav je svu ...
in and as a solo artist in . After Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, RTK applied for EBU membership, and wished to enter Kosovo into the . There is a signed co-operation agreement between the EBU and RTK; and the EBU supports the membership of RTK. Since 2013, RTK has had observer status within the EBU, and did participate in the Eurovision Young Dancers 2011. According to the Kosovan newspaper , a possible entry would have been selected via a national final called , a former pop show that had been taken off the air some years ago. In February 2023, RTK announced that it was developing a format bearing the same title of Festivali i Këngës, with the long-term aim of using it as the Kosovan national final for the contest, similarly to its Albanian counterpart. Later that year, the broadcaster confirmed that it would continue its efforts to obtain EBU membership, and opened a submission period for the first edition of the event, which was held between 26 and 28 October 2023. Shortly before the launch, the festival's director, Adi Krasta, reported that people at EBU had expressed their enthusiasm about the event, with director-general of the EBU
Noel Curran Noel Curran is a former Irish television producer and journalist who has been the director-general of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) since October 2017. Curran also previously served as Chairman of Eurovision Services, the former satel ...
making a remote appearance during the first night of the festival to express his congratulations. Following the first edition, the CEO of RTK, Besnik Boletini, reaffirmed the country's continued efforts in order to be included in the contest as early as 2025. RTK was first present as an observer at the EBU general assembly in December 2023. A vote on the draft of Kosovo's application to the
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...
took place on 16 April 2024, which was approved by the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Assembly is made up of ...
. The
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (French language, French: ''Comité des ministres du Conseil de l'Europe'') or Committee of Ministers (French language, French: ''Comité des ministres'') is the Council of Europe's decision- ...
was set to decide on Kosovo's membership in May 2024, but was removed from the agenda following Kosovo's rejection of French and German prerequisites for membership. Membership in the council would enable Kosovo to join the EBU as a full member and compete in the contest by 2025. In May 2024, RTK announced that it would submit an application for EBU membership "soon", and by mid-June, it submitted a formal request of invitation to the contest, despite still lacking full EBU membership; this was rejected in July.


Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein has never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest: the principality has been prevented from competing due to the lack of a national broadcaster which is a member of the EBU. Attempts were made in the 1970s by the Liechtenstein government for the nation to participate, with a two-song national final held in November 1975 choosing "My Little Cowboy" sung by Biggi Bachmann and written by Mike Tuttlies and Horst Hornung as the winner over "Tu étais mon clown" by Anne Frommelt. The song was supposed to be the country's debut entry for the ; however due to a misunderstanding by Liechtenstein's government of the rules of participation, the entry was rejected due to a lack of national broadcaster with which to participate. On 15 August 2008, 1 FL TV, licensed by the country's government, became the first broadcaster based in Liechtenstein. This would allow the country to begin competing at the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, should they decide to join the EBU, a pre-requisite for entering the contest. Shortly after its foundation however, the broadcaster announced that they were not interested in joining the EBU or Eurovision at that time because they had no budget for membership. In July 2009, the broadcaster officially announced its intention to apply to join the EBU by the end of July, with the intention to take part in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2010 The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Oslo, Norway, following the country's victory at the with the song "Fairytale (Alexander Rybak song), Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak. Organise ...
in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
. Peter Kölbel, managing director of 1FLTV, officially confirmed the broadcaster's interest, revealing that they had plans to develop a national final similar to ''
Deutschland sucht den Superstar ''Deutschland sucht den Superstar'' (''DSDS''; "Germany is looking for the Superstar") is a German reality talent show. Part of the ''Idol'' franchise, it was created by British media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show ''P ...
'', the German version of the
Idol series ''Idol'' (also known as ''SuperStar'' in some countries) is a reality television singing competition format created by British television producer Simon Fuller and developed by Fremantle. The format began in 2001 with the British television se ...
. In November 2009, 1FLTV decided to postpone EBU and Eurovision plans, for financial reasons, and began to search for other options for funding EBU membership in the future. 1FLTV submitted its application for EBU membership on 29 July 2010. If accepted, 1FLTV would have gained full EBU membership and would have been able to send an entry to the
Eurovision Song Contest 2011 The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Düsseldorf, Germany, following the country's victory at the with the song "Satellite" by Lena. Organised by the European Broadcasting Uni ...
. However, Liechtenstein did not appear on the official list of participants for Eurovision 2011. In late 2012, Peter Kölbel, director of 1FLTV, stated that Liechtenstein would not be able to take part until 2013 at the earliest. The broadcaster had been trying to get government subsidies since 2010 to enable participation, and participation was likely if the Government approved funding by April 2012. On 10 September 2013, 1FLTV confirmed that Liechtenstein would not be participating at the
Eurovision Song Contest 2014 The Eurovision Song Contest 2014 was the 59th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, following the country's victory at the with the song "Only Teardrops" by Emmelie de Forest. Organised by the European B ...
in Copenhagen, Denmark. The broadcaster has no plans to join the EBU at the moment. This was confirmed again on 28 July 2014 in the run-up to the
Eurovision Song Contest 2015 The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst. Organised by the European Broa ...
in Austria. 1FLTV did however state their interest in participating in the Eurovision Song Contest, but said that they would have to evaluate the costs of EBU membership, a necessary prelude to participation. Once again in 2016, the nation did not compete, due to lack of funds to join the EBU. On 21 September 2016, 1FLTV announced that they would not be able to debut to the contest in 2017, but that they would set their eyes on a future participation once they overcome their financial hurdles. Yet again, on 1 September 2017 they also announced they would not debut at the 2018 contest in Lisbon. On 4 November 2017, the broadcaster stated that it was planning to debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019 and would organise a national selection to select both the singer and the song. However, on 20 July 2018, the EBU stated that 1 FL TV had not applied for membership. The broadcaster later halted its plans to apply for EBU membership when its director, Peter Kölbel, unexpectedly died. It would also need the backing of the Liechtenstein government to be able to carry the cost of becoming an EBU member and paying the participation fee for the contest. On 9 August 2022, 1 FL TV's managing director Sandra Woldt confirmed that the broadcaster would not be aiming to apply for EBU membership, thereby indefinitely ruling out a debut in the Eurovision Song Contest. The broadcaster's intentions were reiterated the following year. On 15 May 2024, ''
Liechtensteiner Vaterland ''Liechtensteiner Vaterland'' (; lit. "Liechtenstein Fatherland") is the largest daily newspaper in Liechtenstein. Published by Vaduzer Medienhaus AG, it is the official newspaper of the Patriotic Union party. History In January 1936, Christi ...
'' reported that a different broadcaster,
Radio Liechtenstein Radio Liechtenstein, often - particularly in its early years - shortened to Radio L, was the public radio station of Liechtenstein. It was the first and primary station to broadcast in Liechtenstein. They primarily broadcast local news, world n ...
, was in the process of applying for EBU membership with the aim of participating in the contest. The plans were put on hold after the public voted 55.4% for the privatization of Radio Liechtenstein by the end of 2025. Radio Liechtenstein was shut down on 3 April 2025.


Qatar

Qatar Radio Qatar Radio (), abbreviated as QR, is a Qatar Government owned public service national radio station in Qatar which is owned and run by the public service broadcasting network Qatar Media Corporation (QMC). Broadcasting is multilingual, with Arab ...
(QR) first revealed on 12 May 2009 that they were interested in becoming active members of the union, which would allow
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
to compete in the contest. The nation first became involved in the contest at that year's edition, where the broadcaster sent a delegation to the contest and broadcast a weekly radio show called ''12pointsqatar'' dedicated to Eurovision, which received favourable responses. Qatar Radio said that they hoped to join Eurovision by 2011 and that they would be happy to join all other competitors in the contest, including
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
, if the country received a membership. The broadcaster appeared as an associate member of the EBU in 2009, but was removed sometime later. Qatar is required to have a TV broadcaster which has at least associate membership of the EBU in order to have a chance to take part, as Qatar Radio is only a radio station and Qatar lies outside the
European Broadcasting Area The European Broadcasting Area (EBA) is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as such:
and cannot apply for Council of Europe membership, with Australia being the only exception after being an associate member for over 30 years. The broadcaster would most likely be
Qatar Television Qatar Television, (); abbreviated as Qatar TV or QTV), is a Qatar Government owned public service national television channel in Qatar which is owned and run by Qatar Media Corporation. The channel broadcasts various programmes including news, eco ...
(QTV), which is also owned by the Qatar General Broadcasting and Television Corporation (QGBTC). If Qatar Radio gets reaccepted, it would be able to air the contest alongside the television broadcast.


Soviet Union

The Soviet Union never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest prior to its dissolution in 1991, however several of the
post-Soviet states The post-Soviet states, also referred to as the former Soviet Union or the former Soviet republics, are the independent sovereign states that emerged/re-emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Prior to their independence, they ...
which emerged or re-emerged following this process went on to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. All former
republics of the Soviet Union In the Soviet Union, a Union Republic () or unofficially a Republic of the USSR was a Federated state, constituent federated political entity with a List of forms of government, system of government called a Soviet republic (system of governm ...
which were geographically situated in Europe (except for
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
) went on to make their debut appearances in the contest during the 1990s and 2000s: , and in ; in ; in ; in ; in ; in ; in ; and in . Of the ten former Soviet republics to have taken part, five have gone on to win the contest. Estonia became the first to win in , followed by Latvia in , Ukraine in , Russia in , and Azerbaijan in . Ukraine is the only former Soviet country to have won the contest more than once, having secured three wins in 2004, and . The contest was reportedly first broadcast on television in the Soviet Union in , and for many years the contest was intermittently broadcast on
Soviet Central Television The Central Television of the USSR (; abbreviated CT USSR, SCTV ">/nowiki>/nowiki>) was the state television broadcaster of the Soviet Union. Like much of the Soviet media, CT USSR regularly promoted the agendas of the Communist Party. Initi ...
who received it via the OIRT's
Intervision network The International Radio and Television Organisation (official name in French: Organisation Internationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision or OIRT (before 1960 International Broadcasting Organization (IBO), official name in French: ''Organ ...
.See individual references embedded within the "Commentators and spokespersons" table. The contest was also broadcast on
Eesti Televisioon Eesti Televisioon (ETV) () is an Estonian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Estonian Public Broadcasting. It made its first broadcast on 19 July 1955. History Eesti Televisioon (''Estonian Television'') was launched on ...
within the
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, (abbreviated Estonian SSR, Soviet Estonia, or simply Estonia ) was an administrative subunit (Republics of the Soviet Union, union republic) of the former Soviet Union (USSR), covering the Occupation o ...
from .


Broadcast in non-participating countries

The contest has been broadcast in several countries that do not compete, such as the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and China. Since 2000, it has been broadcast online via the Eurovision website. It was also broadcast in several countries East of the
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...
that have since dissolved, such as
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
,
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
, and the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
.


See also

*
List of countries in the Eurovision Young Dancers Broadcasters from thirty-six countries have participated in the Eurovision Young Dancers since it started in 1985, with winners coming from eleven of those countries. This biennial dance competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union ( ...
*
List of countries in the Eurovision Young Musicians Broadcasters from forty-three countries have participated in the Eurovision Young Musicians since it started in 1982, with winners coming from twelve of those countries. This biennial classical music competition organised by the European Broadca ...
* List of countries in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest


Notes


References


Bibliography

* O'Connor, John Kennedy (2005). ''The Eurovision Song Contest 50 Years The Official History''. London: Carlton Books Limited. . {{Eurovision Song Contest *
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...