The 70th edition of Eurovision took place on May 16, ending with Bulgaria’s first win in its history and a lasting impact on viewers.
Eurovision was founded in 1956 by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to reunify Europe through music after World War II.
Since then, it has grown from a seven-nation competition to the world’s largest televised music competition.
The contest has also produced well-known names such as ABBA, Celine Dion, Maneskin, and Olivia Newton-John.
Over the years, competing songs have been performed in many different genres and languages, allowing a large international fan base to form.
“The Eurovision contest continues to attract global attention because of its constant evolution, in terms of diversity and inclusivity. It is still a big cultural program on television,” said Laurence Arfi-Tocatlian, a French language teacher at Carlmont.
This year, 25 languages other than English were used in the competition. Azerbaijani was introduced to the contest by the artist JIVA with her song “Just Go.”
One of the charms of Eurovision is that it spans a long period, keeping fans interested.
From choosing artists to pre-parties to rehearsals to the actual contest, fans can see snippets of their favorite singers and their journey to Eurovision.
“There is not really a song that I’ve really heard before on Eurovision. I just get introduced to these new artists from countries I’ve never been to, and it just keeps me coming back,” said Lucas Clavel, a sophomore at Carlmont.
In addition to keeping fans engaged all year round, new Eurovision spin-offs have been announced over the years.
This includes the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, founded in 2003, which has happened every fall since then.
In addition, Eurovision Asia, which was just announced, will hold its first contest later this year in Bangkok.
Despite the large audience every year, there has been some controversy over the rules and countries allowed to participate in this year’s contest.
Since the start of the contest, many countries have withdrawn due to political disputes with other participating countries and disagreements with the rules.
Five countries withdrew from this year’s contest: Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, and Slovenia.
This is the most countries leaving the contest at the same time in the contest’s history, with Spain among the biggest financial contributors.
The reason for the withdrawals was a mix of political disputes and disappointment with the unclear rules.
This has caused debate among fans, with some believing that politics have gotten too involved in the contest, and others believing that politics shouldn’t be involved at all.
“In my opinion, politics shouldn’t be involved in the contest. It’s a singing competition, and it shouldn’t be defined by politics and what is going on in the world. Countries shouldn’t be stopped unless they are breaking rules, but sportsmanship should be expected,” said Carlmont Sophomore Diana Velisar.
Due to many countries not broadcasting the contest and other fans boycotting, the 2026 edition experienced a drop in viewership.
Despite this, many are excited for the 2027 contest being held in Bulgaria. A possible return is hoped for in countries like Turkey and Hungary, with North Macedonia’s return already confirmed. Next year may also see the debut of Canada.
As the Eurovision Song Contest heads toward its 71st edition, it is moving closer to its motto “United by Music” by keeping music’s diversity and inclusivity alive.
