The Eurovision Song Contest is the world’s largest televised music competition, attracting over 160 million viewers every year. Since its launch in 1956, the contest has grown into one of the most watched entertainment events in the world with more than 35 competing countries. Legendary music acts such as ABBA and Céline Dion and got their international breakthrough through the contest. But can music really be turned into points and something that you can win?
What is the Eurovision Song Contest?
Eurovision Song Contest, often abbreviated as ESC, is a yearly music contest where a number of countries, mainly European, compete with one song representing each country. The contest has been held yearly since 1956 except for 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The event is owned and coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union.
History of the Eurovision Song Contest
The contest was created by the European Broadcasting Union in the 1950s when the organization mainly operated in western Europe. The first rendition only had seven participating countries. Over the years, the exposure grew and more member states joined the competition. In 1962, the number of participants had grown to 16.
In 1973, Israel joined as the first non-European country to compete in the contest. In 1974, the Swedish pop group ABBA won with the song “Waterloo”, which up until 2019 was the most streamed song in the contest’s history. ESC grew substantially larger in the following years and saw Turkey, Morocco, Greece and Cyprus join.
Following the end of the Cold War, a number of new states joined the competition and a surge in viewership could be seen. Global viewership climbed drastically by the mid-2000s, driven by a broader broadcasting reach in emerging markets. The latest contest in 2025 had over 166 million viewers, reaching 3 million more than the year before.
The Eurovision Song Contest voting system explained
The voting system in the Eurovision Song Contest is based on 50% public votes and 50% votes from a jury of music professionals. The system has been criticized time and time again for not being neutral. Neighboring countries often give each other high points, which has led to accusations of “bloc voting”. After controversy around the 2025 public vote, the EBU introduced new voting limits and tightened rules around third-party promotional campaigns. The Eurovision director Martin Green said “we are taking clear and decisive steps to ensure the contest remains a celebration of music and unity. The contest should remain a neutral space and must not be instrumentalised”.
Can you compete in music?
Music is subjective. What one person will love, another one will hate. But there are, however, songs that consistently seem to appeal to larger audiences, making them more likely to succeed in a competitive format like the Eurovision Song Contest. In that sense, the Eurovision Song Contest reflects what music is popular as of now. And for many performers, Eurovision can function as a stepping stone to an international career. Eurovision creates a platform for emerging artists who might not otherwise have been recognized internationally. For that reason, Eurovision plays an important role in increasing artists’ reach across Europe and beyond.
To compete in music is, in theory, a weird concept. The beauty of art is that it is subjective. No jury can fully decide what is good or bad, because musical taste is personal. In the Eurovision Song Contest, the visual aesthetic is just as important, if not more, than the music itself. Each country funds its own productions including staging costs, dancers, pyrotechnics and so on. Here, a clear advantage emerges for countries that invest heavily in their participation. As a result, Eurovision becomes something different from a song contest where everyone competes on equal terms.
Often, entries with the strongest visual identity are the ones that attract the most attention. At times, the shock value can become just as important as the song itself. The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest Winner Netta performing the song “Toy” is one example of how a excentric performance can help shape a winning entry. The song immediately sparked debate and strong emotions, and whether people liked it or disliked it, the performance became one of the most talked-about entries of the year and won the contest.
Conclusion
In the end, music isn’t something that can truly be measured or ranked, since taste will always remain subjective. Yet the Eurovision Song Contest shows that competition in music can still create excitement, opportunity and global attention. The contest blends art with entertainment, turning songs into performances that millions of people experience together. Whether one sees it as a pure music contest or simply a spectacular television show, Eurovision continues to prove that music has the power to bring audiences together across borders.
Countries with the most Eurovision wins:
- Sweden – 7 wins (read how Sweden became a pop songwriting powerhouse)
- Ireland – 7 wins
- France – 5 wins
- Luxembourg – 5 wins
- United Kingdom – 5 wins
- Netherlands – 5 wins