BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Sprinkle on the sequins or settle down on the sofa: It’s time to find out who will be crowned champion at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest.
Acts from more than two dozen countries will take the stage in Basel, Switzerland on Saturday to vie for glory through a 3-minute pop song. Millions of people across Europe and beyond will be watching and voting for their favorites.
Here’s how to join them.
What time does Eurovision start?
In Europe, the grand final begins at 9 p.m. Central European Summer Time. In Britain, it airs at 8 p.m.
In the United States and Canada, the finale starts at 3 p.m. EDT.
How can I watch Eurovision?
The competition will be aired by national broadcasters in participating nations — the Eurovision website includes a list.
In some territories, it’ll be watchable on Eurovision’s YouTube channel.
In the U.S., Eurovision will stream live on Peacock.
How can I vote in Eurovision?
Viewers in participating countries can vote during the competition, and for about 40 minutes after, by phone, text message or the Eurovision app. Each viewer can vote up to 20 times, but not for their own nation’s entry.
Voting is open all day Saturday for viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries, who can vote online at www.esc.vote or with the app. The combined “rest of the world” vote is given the weight of one individual country.
Countries are awarded points based on both viewers’ votes and rankings from juries of music industry professionals. These are combined into a total score, and the country with the highest score wins.
I’m new to Eurovision. What do I need to know?
At its simplest, Eurovision is an international pop music competition in which acts representing countries across Europe, and a few beyond it, compete on live television for the title of champion, and a crystal microphone trophy.
Launched in 1956 to foster unity after World War II and test new live-broadcast technology, Eurovision has grown into a feel-good celebration of pop music and international unity. It has grown from seven countries to 37, including non-European nations such as Israel and Australia. The number has been whittled down to 26 finalists through two semifinals this week.
Eurovision is known for electro-pop anthems and disco dancefloor-fillers — often paired with elaborate costumes and spectacular staging — and for a steady smattering of kooky novelty acts.
Past winners include ABBA, who won in 1974 with “Waterloo”; Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion, for Switzerland in 1988; and the Italian rock band Måneskin in 2021.
This year’s favorites include KAJ, representing Sweden with their ode to sauna culture “Bara Bada Bastu”; Dutch singer Claude with soulful ballad “C’est La Vie”; Austrian singer JJ’s pop-opera song “Wasted Love”; French singer Louane with “maman”; and Israel’s Yuval Raphael, with her anthemic “New Day Will Rise.”
Israel’s participation has attracted protests by Palestinians and their supporters, who say the country should be excluded from the contest over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza.
