National selections refer to the processes in which the broadcasters of the countries participating in the annual Eurovision Song Contest select the artist and song that will represent them in the contest.^[1]

The two principal ways for broadcasters to select their entries are open selections (national finals) and closed selections (internal selections).^[1] Since the introduction of semi-finals in the 2004 contest – due to the extensive amount of participating countries – and the rule of the "Big Five" countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom),^[2]^[3] a wide range of countries have often alternated between national finals and internal selections based on final placing at the contest.

National finals

National finals are the process in which the public of a country can choose the artist with their song, often combining public televoting with the vote of an expert jury.^[1]

Organised by the broadcaster, these national finals (consisting of one or more shows) can be televised or non-televised, however, most of the time they are televised as prime-time television shows.^[1] On several occasions, the artist is selected internally and the public of the country chooses a song for them through a national final. Alternatively, the broadcaster can select a song and make the public choose the artist that will perform the song through a national final.^[1]

Among the most well-known national finals is Melodifestivalen in Sweden, which features six live shows (four heats, a "Second Chance" show and a final in Stockholm) in different cities across the country.^[6] In 2012, over an estimated four million people in Sweden watched the final, almost half of the Swedish population.^[7]^[8]

Another example of a long-running national final format is Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) in Finland; in 2018 and 2019, each participant wanting to represent Finland sent three songs to the Finnish public broadcaster Yle, which would select the entrant, and the public of the country would then choose one song among the three that the selected entrant had presented to the broadcaster previously, through a televised final.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13] In 2020, this format was abandoned in favour of a return to the open format seen between 2012 and 2017.^[14]^[15]

Albania, Denmark and Estonia are the only countries that have always selected their entries via a national final. Latvia has selected all of its entries via a national final, except in 2021, when it internally selected its intended entrant for the cancelled 2020 contest. Finland has selected all of its songs via a national final, but in 2018 and 2019, the artist was chosen internally. Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro also selected all of their entries via a national final during their existence.

Internal selections

Internal selections are the process in which the broadcaster of a country appoints a committee or expert panel to select either the artist and the song, sometimes both, without holding a public vote.^[1]

Even though the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) "strongly" encourages countries to hold their own national finals,^[1] several countries such as Russia,^[17] Azerbaijan^[18] and Bulgaria^[19] are among those that have opted for internal selections for most of their entries in the contest. Choosing this method is also a common strategy for countries after having failed to qualify for the final on several occasions.^[20]^[21]

Participants

Main article: List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest

As of 2023,^[update] 52 countries have participated in the contest at least once, and a record 43 countries participated in 2008, 2011 and 2018.^[22]^[23]^[24]

Table key
†	Inactive – countries which participated in the past but did not appear in the most recent contest, or will not appear in the upcoming contest
◇	Ineligible – countries whose broadcasters have been suspended from the European Broadcasting Union and are therefore ineligible to participate
‡	Former – countries which previously participated but no longer exist

Selection history of the participating countries
Country	Debut year	Latest entry	National final^[a]	Internal selection^[a]	Absent years	Broadcaster(s)
Belgium	1956	2023	Eurosong 1956–1963 1965–1984 1986–1989 1991–1993 1995–1996 1998–2000 2002 2004–2006 2008 2011–2014 2016 2023 Total: 51	1964 1985 1990 2003 2007 2009–2010 2015 2017–2022 2024 Total: 14	1994 1997 2001 2020^[b] Total: 4	VRT (Dutch) RTBF (French)^[c]
France	1956	2023	1957–1958 (song) 1961 1970 1973 1976–1979 1980–1981 1983–1987 1999–2000 2005 2006 (artist) 2007 2014 Destination Eurovision 2018–2019 Eurovision France, c'est vous qui décidez ! [fr] 2021–2022 Total: 22	1956 1957–1958 (artist) 1959 1960 1962–1969 1971–1972 1975 1988–1998 2001–2004 2006 (song) 2008–2013 2015–2017 2020 2023–2024 Total: 42	1974^[d] 1982 2020^[b] Total: 3	RTF (1956–1964) ORTF (1965–1974) TF1 (1975–1981) A2F (1983–1992) France Télévisions (1993–present)
Germany	1956	2023	1956–1958 1960–1965 1969–1973 1975–1976 1978–1992 1996–2008 2022 2024 Unser Lied [de] 2010–2019 2023 Total: 57	1959 1966–1968 1974 1977 1993–1995 2009 2020–2021 Total: 12	1996^[e] 2020^[b] Total: 2	HR (1956–1976) (ARD) BR (1977–1991) (ARD) MDR (1992–1995) (ARD) ARD/NDR (1996–present)
Italy	1956	2023	Sanremo Music Festival 1956–1969 1987–1990 1992–1993 1997 2011–2013 2015–2024 Canzonissima 1970–1975 Total: 49	1976–1980 1983–1985 1991 2014 Total: 10	1981–1982 1986 1994–1996 1998–2010 2020^[b] Total: 20	RAI
Luxembourg	1956	1993	1965 1971 1976 1978 1989 1992 Luxembourg Song Contest 2024 Total: 5	1956–1958 1960–1964 1966-1970 1972-1975 1977 1979–1988 1990–1991 1993 Total: 33	1959 1994–2022 Total: 30	CLT
Switzerland	1956	2023	Concours Eurovision 1956–1957 1959–1961 1963–1970 1972–1993 1998 2000 2002 2004 Die Grosse Entscheidungsshow 2011–2018 Total: 38	1958 1962 1971 1994 1996–1997 2005–2010 2019–2024 Total: 18	1995 1999 2001 2003 2020^[b] Total: 5	SRG SSR
Netherlands	1956	2023	Nationaal Songfestival 1956–1960 1962–1979 1981–1984 1986–1990 1992–1994 1996–2001 2003–2006 2009–2012 Total: 48	1961 1980 2007–2008 2013–2024 Total: 15	1985 1991 1995 2002 2020^[b] Total: 5	NTS (1956–1969) NOS (1970–2009) TROS (2010–2013) AVROTROS (2014–present)
Austria	1957	2023	1981–1984 1990–1991 1993–1994 2002–2005 2011–2013 2015–2016 Total: 16	1957–1968 1971–1972 1976–1980 1985–1989 1992 1995–1997 1999–2000 2007 2014 2017–2024 Total: 40	1969–1970 1973–1975 1998 2001 2006 2008–2010 2020^[b] Total: 12	ORF
Denmark	1957	2023	Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 1957–1966 1978–1993 1995–1997 1999–2002 2004–2024 Total: 53	—	1967–1977 1994 1996^[e] 1998 2003 2020^[b] Total: 16	DR
United Kingdom	1957	2023	Festival of British Popular Songs 1957 A Song for Europe 1959–1963 1964–1975 1976–1991 1992–1994 1995 2000–2003 The Great British Song Contest 1996–1999 Eurovision: Making Your Mind Up 2004–2007 Eurovision: Your Decision 2008 Eurovision: Your Country Needs You 2009–2010 Eurovision: You Decide 2016–2019 Total: 57	2011–2015 2020–2024 Total: 10	1958 2020^[b] Total: 2	BBC
Sweden	1958	2023	Melodifestivalen 1959–1963 1965–1969 1971–1975 1977–2024 Total: 62	1958 Total: 1	1964 1970 1976 2020^[b] Total: 4	Sveriges Radiotjänst (1958) SR (1959–1979) SVT (1980–present)
Monaco †	1959	2006	—	1959–1979 2004–2006 Total: 24	1980–2003 2007–2024 Total: 42	TMC
Norway	1960	2023	Melodi Grand Prix 1960–1969 1971–1990 1992–2001 2003–2024 Total: 51	1991 Total: 1	1970 2002 2020^[b] Total: 3	NRK
Finland	1961	2023	Euroviisukarsinta 1961–1969 1971–1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004–2011 Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) 2012–2024 (song selection only in 2018 and 2019) Total: 48	2018–2019 (artist) Total: 2	1970 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2020^[b] Total: 7	Yle
Spain	1961	2023	1961–1962 1964–1965 1969 (song) 1970 1971 (artist) 1976 1979 2005 2007–2010 2012 (song) 2014 Eurocanción [es] 2000–2001 Operación Triunfo (OT) 2002–2004 2018–2019 Destino Eurovisión [es] 2011 2013 2021 (song) Objetivo Eurovisión [es] 2016–2017 Benidorm Fest 2022–2024 Total: 29	1963 1966–1968 1969 (artist) 1971 (song) 1972–1975 1977–1999 2006 2012–2013 (artist) 2015 2020 2021 (artist) Total: 38	2020^[b] Total: 1	RTVE
Yugoslavia ‡	1961	1992	Jugovizija 1961–1972 1981–1992 Opatija Festival 1973–1976 Total: 28	—	1977–1980 1985^[d] Total: 5 1993–present	JRT
Portugal	1964	2023	Festival da Canção 1964–1969 1971–1999 2001 2003–2004 2006–2012 2014–2015 2017–2024 Total: 54	2005^[f] Total: 1	1970 2000 2002 2013 2016 2020^[b] Total: 6	RTP
Ireland	1965	2023	National Song Contest 1965–1982 1984–1986 Eurosong 1987–2001 You're a Star 2003–2005 Eurosong (as part of The Late Late Show) 2006–2007 2008–2015 2022–2024 Total: 52	2016–2021 Total: 6	1983 2002 2020^[b] Total: 3	RTÉ
Malta	1971	2023	Malta Song for Europe 1971–1972 1975 1991–2010 Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2011–2015 2016 (artist) 2017–2018 2022 (artist) 2023–2024 X Factor Malta 2019–2020 (artist) Total: 35	2016 (song) 2019–2020 (song) 2021 2022 (song) Total: 5	1973^[d] 1974^[d] 1976^[d] 1977–1990 2020^[b] Total: 18	PBS
Israel	1973	2023	Israel Song Festival 1978–1979 Kdam Eurovision 1980–1989 1991–1993 1995–1996 2001 2005–2006 2008–2011 2013 2014 HaKokhav HaBa 2015 (artist) 2016 2017–2020 (artist) 2024 (artist) HaShir HaBa L'Eurovizion 2020 (song) HaShir Shelanu L'Eurovizion 2021 (song) The X Factor Israel 2022 Total: 35	1973–1977 1990 1998–2000 2002–2004 2007 2012 2015 (song) 2017–2019 (song) 2021 (artist) 2023 2024 (song) Total: 20	1980^[d] 1984^[d] 1994 1996^[e] 1997 2020^[b] Total: 6	IBA (1973–2017) IPBC/Kan (2018–present)
Greece	1974	2023	Ellinikós Telikós 1979–1980 1982–1983 1986–1991 1998 2001–2003 2007–2012 Eurosong - A MAD Show 2013–2015 Total: 22	1974 1976–1978 1981 1985 1992–1997 2004–2006 2016–2024 Total: 23	1975 1982^[d] 1984 1986^[d] 1999–2000 2020^[b] Total: 7	ERT (1974–2013, 2016–present) NERIT (2014–2015)
Turkey †	1975	2012	1975 1978–1979 1980–1993 1995–2002 2004–2005 Total: 29	2003 2006–2012 Total: 8	1976–1977 1979^[d] 1994 2013–2024 Total: 16	TRT
Morocco †	1980	1980	—	1980 Total: 1	1981–2024 Total: 44	SNRT
Cyprus	1981	2023	1984 1990–2000 2004–2006 2008–2012 2015 Total: 21	1981–1983 1985–1989 2002–2003 2007 2013 2016–2024 Total: 21	1988^[d] 2001 2014 2020^[b] Total: 4	CyBC
Iceland	1986	2023	Söngvakeppnin 1986–1994 2000–2001 2003 2006–2020 2022–2024 Total: 29	1995–1997 1999 2004–2005 2021 Total: 7	1998 2002 2020^[b] Total: 3	RÚV
Bosnia and Herzegovina †	1993	2016	BH Eurosong 1993–1997 1999 2001–2005 Total: 11	2006–2012 2016 Total: 8	1998 2000 2013–2015 2017–2024 Total: 13	BHRT
Croatia	1993	2023	Dora 1993–2011 2019–2024 Total: 25	2012–2013 2016–2018 Total: 5	2014–2015 2020^[b] Total: 3	HRT
Estonia	1994^[g]	2023	Eurolaul 1993–1994 1996–2008 Eesti Laul 2009–2024 Total: 30	—	1995 2020^[b] Total: 2	ERR
Hungary †	1994^[g]	2019	1993–1994 1996–1997 2005 2007–2008 A Dal 2012–2019 Total: 13	1995 1998 2009 2011 Total: 5	1996^[e] 1999–2004 2006 2010 2020^[b] 2021–2024 Total: 14	MTVA
Romania	1994^[g]	2023	Selecția Națională 1993–1994 1996 1998 2000 2002–2019 2020 (song) 2022–2023 Total: 26	2020 (artist) 2021 Total: 2	1995 1996^[e] 1997 1999 2001 2016^[d] 2020^[b] Total: 7	TVR
Slovenia	1993	2023	Slovenski izbor za Pesem Evrovizije 1993 1995 Evrovizijska Melodija (EMA) 1996–1999 2001–2011 2014–2020 2022 Misija Evrovizija [sl] 2012 Total: 26	2013 2021 2023–2024 Total: 4	1994 2000 2020^[b] Total: 3	RTVSLO
Slovakia †	1994^[g]	2012	Bratislavská lýra 1998 Eurosong 2009–2010 Total: 3	1993–1994 1996 2011–2012 Total: 5	1995 1997 1999–2008 2013–2024 Total: 24	STV (1994–2010) RTVS (2011–2012)
Lithuania	1994	2023	1999 2001–2002 2004–2008 Lietuvos Dainų Daina 2009 Eurovizija 2010–2012 Eurovizijos atranka 2013–2019 Pabandom iš naujo! 2020–2023 Eurovizija.LT 2024 Total: 23	1994 Total: 1	1995–1998 2000 2003 2020^[b] Total: 7	LRT
Poland	1994	2023	Krajowe Eliminacje 2003–2004 2010–2011 2016–2018 Piosenka dla Europy 2006–2009 Szansa na Sukces 2020 Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję 2022–2023 Total: 13	1994–1999 2001 2005 2014–2015 2019 2021 Total: 12	2000 2002 2012–2013 2020^[b] Total: 5	TVP
Russia ◇	1994	2021	Evrovidenie 1994 1996 2005 2008–2010 2012 2021 Total: 8	1995 1997 2000–2004 2006–2007 2011 2013–2020 Total: 18	1996^[e] 1998–1999 2017^[d] 2020^[b] 2022^[d] 2023–2024 Total: 8	VGTRK (1994, 1996, 2008–2022) C1R (1995–2022)^[h] Channel One Ostankino [ru] ~~(1995)~~^[i]
North Macedonia^[j]	1998^[e]	2022	Skopje Fest 1996 1998 2000 2002 2005 2008–2011 2015 Nacionalen Evrosong 2006–2007 Za Evrosong 2022 Total: 13	2004 2012–2014 2016–2021 Total: 9	1999 2001 2003 2020^[b] 2023–2024 Total: 6	MRT
Latvia	2000	2023	Eirodziesma 2000–2012 Dziesma 2013–2014 Supernova 2015–2020 2022–2024 Total: 23	2021 Total: 1	2020^[b] Total: 1	LTV
Ukraine	2003	2023	2005–2007 2008 (song) 2009–2014 Vidbir 2016–2020 2022–2024 Total: 17	2003–2004 2008 (artist) 2021 Total: 4	2015 2019^[d] 2020^[b] Total: 3	Suspilne
Albania	2004	2023	Festivali i Këngës 2004–2024 Total: 20	—	2020^[b] Total:	RTSH
Andorra †	2004	2009	2004–2005 2009 Total: 3	2006–2008 Total: 3	2010–2024 Total: 15	RTVA
Belarus ◇	2004	2019	Eurofest 2004–2009 2012 Natsionalny Otbor 2013–2020 Total: 15	2010–2011 2021 Total: 3	2020^[b] 2021^[d] 2022–2024 Total: 5	BTRC
Serbia and Montenegro ‡	2004	2005	Evropesma 2004–2006 Total: 3	—	2006^[d] Total: 1 2007–present	UJRT
Bulgaria	2005	2022	2005–2013 Total: 9	2016–2018 2020–2022 Total: 6	2014–2015 2019 2020^[b] 2023–2024 Total: 6	BNT
Moldova	2005	2023	O melodie pentru Europa 2005–2006 2008–2019 Finala națională 2020 Etapa națională 2023–2024 Total: 17	2007 2021–2022 Total: 3	2020^[b] Total: 1	TRM
Armenia	2006	2023	2007 2008 (song) 2009–2011 2013 Depi Evratesil 2017–2018 2020 Total: 9	2006 2008 (artist) 2014–2016 2019 2022–2023 Total: 8	2012^[d] 2020^[b] 2021^[d] Total: 3	AMPTV
Czech Republic	2007	2023	Eurosong 2007–2008 Eurovision Song CZ 2018–2020 2022–2024 Total: 8	2009 2015–2017 2021 Total: 5	2010–2014 2020^[b] Total: 6	ČT
Georgia	2007	2023	2007–2012 2015–2017 Georgian Idol 2019 2020 (artist) The Voice Georgia 2023 (artist) Total: 11	2013–2014 2018 2020 (song) 2021–2022 2023 (song) 2024 Total: 8	2009^[d] 2020^[b] Total: 2	GPB
Montenegro	2007	2022	MontenegroSong 2007–2008 Montevizija 2018–2019 Total: 4	2009 2012–2017 2022 Total: 8	2010–2011 2020^[b] 2021 2023–2024 Total: 6	RTCG
Serbia	2007	2023	Beovizija 2007–2009 2018–2020 Internally selected composers 2010–2011 2015 Beosong 2013 Pesma za Evroviziju 2022–2024 Total: 12	2012 2016–2017 2021 Total: 4	2014 2020^[b] Total: 2	RTS
Azerbaijan	2008	2023	Land of Fire 2008 2010 Milli Seçim Turu 2011–2012 (artist) 2013 Böyük Səhnə 2014 Total: 6	2009 2011–2012 (song) 2015–2024 Total: 12	2020^[b] Total: 1	İTV
San Marino	2008	2023	1in360 2018 Digital Battle 2020 (song) Una voce per San Marino 2022–2024 Total: 4	2008 2011–2017 2019 2020 (artist) 2021 Total: 11	2009–2010 2020^[b] Total: 3	SMRTV
Australia	2015	2023	Eurovision – Australia Decides 2019–2020 2022 Total: 3	2015–2018 2021 2023 Total: 6	2020^[b] Total: 1	SBS

Notes and references

External links

Eurovision Song Contest

Contests

Countries

Active	Albania Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Croatia Cyprus Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal San Marino Serbia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom
Inactive	Andorra Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Hungary Monaco Montenegro Morocco North Macedonia Romania Slovakia Turkey
Ineligible	Belarus Russia
Former	Serbia and Montenegro Yugoslavia
Debut attempts	Lebanon Tunisia
Relations	Armenia–Azerbaijan Russia–Ukraine

National
selections

Current	Albania Denmark Estonia Finland Georgia Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Latvia Norway Portugal Serbia Spain Sweden Ukraine
Former	Armenia Australia Georgia Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Israel Israel Song Festival Kdam Eurovision The X Factor Israel Malta Netherlands North Macedonia Poland Krajowe Eliminacje Szansa na Sukces Russia Serbia and Montenegro Serbia Slovakia Spain United Kingdom Yugoslavia

Other awards

Special shows

EBU	Eurovision Song Contest Previews Songs of Europe (1981) Kvalifikacija za Millstreet (1993) Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest (2005) Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits (2015) EurovisionAgain (2020–2021) Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light (2020)
National	Die Grand Prix Hitliste (2006) Het Grote Songfestivalfeest (2019, 2022–) Der kleine Song Contest (2020) Eurovision 2020 – das deutsche Finale (2020) Eurovision: Come Together (2020) Sveriges 12:a (2020)

Category

National finals

Internal selections

Participants

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links