MALMO, Sweden – Grab the shiny ball and put on your dancing shoes: it’s time to find out who will be crowned the champion of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.
Artists from more than two dozen countries will take the stage in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday to compete for the continent’s pop music crown. Millions of people across Europe and the rest of the world will be watching and voting for their favorites.
Here’s how to join them.
In Europe, the final round starts at 9pm Central European Summer Time. In Britain, it airs at 8pm
In the United States and Canada, the finale begins airing at 3pm EDT.
The competition will be broadcast by national broadcasters in the participating countries — the Eurovision website includes a list of broadcasters on its website. In some territories, it can be watched on the Eurovision YouTube channel.
In the US, Eurovision will be broadcast live on Peacock.
Voting is open 24 hours before the start of the final for viewers in the US and other non-participating countries, who can vote online or using the Eurovision app. Viewers in participating countries can vote during the competition via the website app, phone or text message, but cannot vote for their own country’s entry.
Countries receive points based on votes from viewers and ratings from juries of music industry professionals. These are combined into a total score – the country with the highest score wins.
Eurovision is an international pop music competition in which artists from countries across Europe, and some from beyond, compete live on television to be crowned champions.
Launched in 1956 to promote unity after the Second World War and test new live broadcast technologies, Eurovision has become an over-the-top, joyous celebration of pop music, with an audience of hundreds of millions around the world. It has grown from seven countries to almost 40, including non-European nations such as Israel and Australia.
It is known for music that ranges from anthemic to downright silly, often paired with elaborate costumes and spectacular staging.
It has also been the launching pad for the careers of many mainstream artists, including ABBA, Canadian singer Celine Dion (who competed for Switzerland in 1988) and Italian rock band Måneskin in 2021. Last year’s winner, the diva Swedish Loreen, is one of only two people to have won the contest twice.
Eurovision winners are notoriously difficult to predict. This year’s favorites include Nemo from Switzerland and Croatian singer Baby Lasagna.
Israeli singer Eden Golan has also increased in betting odds in recent days. Israel’s participation drew huge protests in Malmo from Palestinians and their supporters during a week of Eurovision events.
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