Main points
- Only countries whose national broadcasters are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) can participate in Eurovision.
- Countries that have never participated in Eurovision include China, India, the United States, Canada, the Vatican, and Liechtenstein.
Which countries have never participated in Eurovision / Collage of Channel 24
The Eurovision Song Contest was created to unite Europe after World War II. It was first held on May 24, 1956 in the Swiss city of Lugano. At that time, 7 countries participated: France, West Germany (Germany), Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, which won.
Now, every year, dozens of countries unite around Eurovision, but not everyone can join it. 24 Channel will tell you which countries have never participated in the song contest and why.
Which countries can participate in Eurovision?
Only countries whose national broadcasters are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the song contest, can participate in Eurovision.
It is because of this rule that the United States still does not participate in Eurovision, although it broadcasts the show. By the way, in 2022 the Americans tried to create their own analogue of the song contest, which was called the American Song Contest . All 50 states joined the show, but it was closed after the first season.
By the way, it is EBU membership that allows some non-European countries to participate in Eurovision. For example, Israel debuted in 1973, and Australia in 2015.
Australia at Eurovision 2015: watch the video online
Important! Belarus was suspended from membership in the European Broadcasting Union in 2021, and Russia in 2022, according to the EBU website.
Which countries have never participated in Eurovision?
- Asian countries : China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia.
- Middle East : Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman.
- North and South America : USA, Canada, Brazil.
Among the countries that have never participated in Eurovision, there are also European ones:
- Vatican City – Vatican Radio is part of the European Broadcasting Union, so the country could participate in the song contest, but it has not shown interest.
- Liechtenstein – the country was unable to debut at Eurovision in 1976 due to the lack of its own broadcaster. It is still not a member of the EBU.
- Kosovo – Kosovo's independence is not recognized by Serbia and several other European countries. As a result, the state's public broadcaster has only received associate membership in the EBU, and participation requires full membership or an invitation from the organizers.
It should be noted that the European Broadcasting Union will hold Eurovision in Asia for the first time. The song contest will take place on November 14 in Bangkok (the capital of Thailand). Broadcasters from 10 countries have already confirmed their participation: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.