Each country picks its own Eurovision entry, either through a televised national final or internally. Most finals happen January to March. Key 2027 dates so far: Sanremo's Eurovision night on 19 February and the Melodifestivalen final on 13 March, and Canada is choosing its first-ever artist this autumn.
What a national selection is
Every country picks its own Eurovision entry, in its own way. Some hold a big televised contest, called a national final, where the public and juries choose the song. Others pick one internally, with the broadcaster choosing an artist and song behind closed doors.
National finals season runs mostly from January to March, and for a lot of fans it's half the fun. Some of these shows are bigger at home than Eurovision itself.
The dates to know for 2027
| Country | Selection | When |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | CBC/Radio-Canada artist search | Autumn 2026 – early 2027 |
| Italy | Festival di Sanremo | Starts 16 Feb; Eurovision night 19 Feb |
| Sweden | Melodifestivalen heats | 6, 13, 20, 27 Feb and 6 Mar |
| Sweden | Melodifestivalen final | 13 Mar |
Most other dates haven't been announced yet. We'll add them here as they are.
The big ones
Melodifestivalen (Sweden)
The biggest national final there is. About 30 songs compete over five Saturday heats and a final, all decided by public vote, with hosts Oscar Zia and Björn Kjellman. Sweden has won Eurovision seven times, and many of those winners came through Melfest.
Festival di Sanremo (Italy)
Italy's most famous music festival, running since 1951. For 2027 there's a big change: instead of the overall Sanremo winner getting first refusal on Eurovision, one night of the festival will be a dedicated Eurovision night, with extra staging and a separate vote to pick Italy's entry.
Canada's first search
Canada is debuting in 2027, and CBC/Radio-Canada is doing it differently: it's picking an artist first, and the song comes after. Artist submissions closed in September. A shortlist is due this autumn, followed by an online public vote on the shortlisted artists' introduction videos and a professional jury. The winner then works with songwriters and producers to create the Eurovision entry.
And the rest
Plenty of other countries hold national finals, among them Finland (UMK), Norway (Melodi Grand Prix), Denmark (Dansk Melodi Grand Prix), Latvia (Supernova), Malta (MESC) and Albania (Festivali i Këngës, which usually takes place in December, well before everyone else). Others, like the UK, usually choose internally.
How to watch from America
Most national finals stream on the broadcaster's own website or app, and many post performances on YouTube. Some streams are blocked outside the country, so the easiest way to keep up is often the official performance videos the next day.