Today marks the final day for any broadcaster with an active membership in the European Broadcasting Union to apply for participation in Eurovision 2023.
After this, no additional broadcaster will be able to participate in the contest that did not originally apply – but broadcasters who submitted an application can still withdraw prior to October 11th without financial penalty. Any decisions to withdraw after that date will result in the payment of a withdraw fee.
What we know about Eurovision 2023 so far
There are currently 32 countries who have already announced their intentions to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, and many of them have also announced their selection plans, opened song submissions, or in the case of Israel, selected their Eurovision artist internally. The list of participating countries as of today is as follows:
- Albania 🇦🇱
- Australia 🇦🇺
- Austria 🇦🇹
- Belgium 🇧🇪
- Cyprus 🇨🇾
- Denmark 🇩🇰
- Estonia 🇪🇪
- Finland 🇫🇮
- France 🇫🇷
- Georgia 🇬🇪
- Germany 🇩🇪
- Greece 🇬🇷
- Iceland 🇮🇸
- Ireland 🇮🇪
- Israel 🇮🇱
- Italy 🇮🇹
- Latvia 🇱🇻
- Lithuania 🇱🇹
- Malta 🇲🇹
- Netherlands 🇳🇱
- Norway 🇳🇴
- Poland 🇵🇱
- Portugal 🇵🇹
- Romania 🇷🇴
- San Marino 🇸🇲
- Serbia 🇷🇸
- Slovenia 🇸🇮
- Spain 🇪🇸
- Sweden 🇸🇪
- Switzerland 🇨🇭
- Ukraine 🇺🇦
- United Kingdom 🇬🇧
There are also 8 countries that participated in Turin who have not publicly expressed their intentions to compete: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Moldova, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. So long as they privately complete the EBU application, these broadcasters are allowed to announce their participation after the deadline to the public.
Could we see any debuts or returns in 2023?
Of course, additional countries could debut or return at the 2023 contest so long as they have an active EBU membership and apply or are invited to compete by the EBU itself. Kazakhstan debuted in Junior Eurovision 2018 by special invitation of the EBU, and has been trying to negotiate a debut at the Eurovision Song Contest through invitation ever since. Kosovo has also been interested in competing and said in May that they aim to get EBU status for their broadcaster RTK by the end of 2022.
Former countries Andorra, Slovakia, Luxembourg, and Monaco have all rulled out a return to the contest next year, and Hungary and Turkey are not expected to return either. Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be eligible to participate until their EBU debt is paid in full. Former participant Morocco vowed to never participate again after their second-to-last placement in the 1980 contest, despite still holding EBU membership. Additionally, Liechtenstein’s broadcaster also confirmed in August that they are no longer applying for EBU membership, ruling out their debut.
This means that Kazakhstan and Kosovo remain as the only possible countries who could participate and were not present in Turin.
Are #YOU excited that the 2023 Eurovision contest is coming together slowly? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our discord, or on our forum page!
