For the past two years, the countries advancing to the Eurovision final have been determined solely by the audience, without the involvement of a jury. Many have praised this change, believing it shifts power to the audience. But is that truly the case?

In both the Eurovision 2023 and 2024 contests, juries did not participate in the semi-finals; their input was only considered during the final. This change, announced before the competition in Liverpool, was accompanied by the introduction of the “Rest of the World Vote,” allowing non-participating countries to vote. Both announcements were met with enthusiasm.

Changes in the Voting System

Martin Österdahl, the contest’s supervisor, commented on these changes: “Throughout its 67-year history, the Eurovision Song Contest has constantly evolved to remain relevant and exciting. These changes acknowledge the immense popularity of the show by giving more power to the audience of the world’s largest live music event. In 2023, only Eurovision Song Contest viewers will decide which countries make it to the Grand Final and, reflecting the global impact of the event, everyone watching the show, wherever they live in the world, can cast their votes for their favorite songs.”

Despite these changes, the audience has gained the right to decide who reaches the grand final but seemingly lost the right to decide the winner. For two consecutive years, the contest winner has been the jury’s choice, while the audience’s favorite has placed second. Why does this happen? It is likely due to a distortion in the voting method rather than any illegal coordination by the jury.

Notable Contest Outcomes

In 2023, Sweden, represented by Loreen, led the betting throughout the season, while Finland’s Käärijä became an audience favorite with a captivating rap song. On the final night, Loreen won the jury vote by a significant margin, while Käärijä topped the audience vote. However, Loreen’s overall points secured her victory, bringing Eurovision back to Sweden.

A similar scenario unfolded in the following contest. Switzerland’s Nemo and Croatia’s Baby Lasagna were leading in the betting. Switzerland won the jury vote by a large margin, while Baby Lasagna topped the audience vote. Ultimately, Switzerland was declared the winner.

Want to empower the audience? You empowered the jury!

This pattern is notable because, between 2009 and 2022, the winner almost always topped the audience vote, with few exceptions. The removal of juries in the semi-final stage seems to give the audience more power, but in reality, it strengthens the juries’ influence in the final. When songs favored by the jury don’t pass the semi-finals, the judges focus their votes on a limited number of songs in the final, while the audience’s votes are spread across many options.

For example, in 2022, Azerbaijan reached sixth place in the semi-finals with the jury but last with the audience. Despite this, Azerbaijan secured a spot in the final and finished 10th with the juries’ help. Such dynamics could shift points away from the juries’ favorites, altering the outcome.

The intent was to empower the audience, but the result has been an increase in the juries’ influence. Additionally, the absence of juries in the semi-finals has led to an influx of “joke” songs from countries like Finland, Estonia, and Croatia, aiming to catch the audience’s eye rather than offering unique compositions. This year, for example, there were almost no ballads (about 6 songs out of a total of 37), probably out of fear of not making it to the final due to the change in the voting method. This trend has resulted in finals filled with songs that might not have qualified in other years.

To restore a diverse competition with a variety of musical styles, juries should return to the semi-final stage. They can serve as an initial filter alongside the audience, ensuring a balance of contenders and a consensus on the winner.

Eurovision 2025: The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Switzerland following its third victory in the history of Switzerland with the song “The Code,” performed by the singer Nemo. This will be the third time the contest is hosted in Switzerland, after it was held there in 1956 and 1989.