Kazakh national broadcaster Khabar Agency applies for full EBU membership to secure Kazakhstan’s debut at Eurovision 2027 in Burgas.
Kazakhstan’s relentless efforts to join the Eurovision family are stepping up a gear: according to reports, the country’s national broadcaster, Khabar Agency, has submitted an official application for full membership status in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The move comes as part of a focused and intensive effort to secure Kazakhstan’s long-awaited debut at Eurovision 2027, which will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria.
In an inquiry directed to the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information, the Instagram page “esc_kaz” published the following:
“The news agency ‘Khabar’ may soon become a full member of the European Broadcasting Union! According to the answer to the letter sent to the Ministry of Culture and Information, this year the Kazakh national broadcaster submitted an application for participation in the song contest ‘Eurovision 2027’ and full membership in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). This has further increased Kazakhstan’s chances of participating in Eurovision. Now all that remains is to wait for the results of the application and for obtaining a spot in the contest 🙏”
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
Kazakhstan has been trying to integrate into the world’s biggest music competition for many years, with efforts intensifying significantly starting in 2016, when Khabar Agency was accepted as an Associate Member of the EBU. Although this status did not grant it an entry ticket to the main contest, it opened the door to Junior Eurovision.
Dazzling Success at Junior Eurovision
At Junior Eurovision, Kazakhstan built a particularly impressive tradition. The country competed consecutively in five editions between 2018 and 2022, rapidly becoming one of the most prominent and beloved nations in the competition.
Its debut was registered in Minsk 2018, where singer Daneliya Tuleshova owned the stage with the song “Ózińe sen” (in English: “Seize the Time”) and finished in a respectable sixth place with 171 points – a performance etched as one of the most memorable and impressive in the history of the junior contest. In the following years, Kazakhstan achieved extraordinary results by finishing in second place twice in a row (in 2019 and 2020), demonstrating its high musical and production capabilities.
Why Does Kazakhstan Still Not Compete in Eurovision – And What Obstacle Remains?
Associate Member status does not automatically permit participation in Eurovision without a special invitation (similar to the invitation granted to Australia in 2015). To ensure regular and independent participation, the national broadcaster must hold full membership in the EBU.
About three months ago, the EBU approved a historic rule amendment allowing national broadcasters from countries outside the European Broadcasting Area to obtain full membership under certain conditions. This amendment paved the way, among other things, for Canadian national broadcaster CBC to join as a full member, enabling Canada’s historic debut at Eurovision 2027.
However, for Kazakhstan, the situation is far more complex. One of the primary conditions stipulated in the updated statutes for national broadcasters outside Europe is that the country must hold official observer status in the Council of Europe. Although Kazakhstan maintains a close and formalized framework of cooperation with the Council of Europe, it does not hold the official status of an observer state in the organization.
This institutional and diplomatic obstacle has thus far prevented Khabar Agency from finalizing its transition to full membership. Now, with the submission of the renewed application, all eyes are on the EBU leadership to see whether a legal formula or compromise will be found to approve the Kazakh application, or whether the nation will need to wait for a special official invitation to finally step onto the biggest stage of all.
Eurovision 2027: The 71th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria, following the country’s first historic win with the song “Bangaranga” performed by Dara. This will be the first time the contest is hosted in Bulgaria.
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Neta Geffen is a respected journalist at Euromix, Israel’s leading news site for Eurovision coverage. Since 2010, Neta has been closely following the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing with him extensive experience, profound knowledge, and a broad understanding of the history, politics, and cultural influences that shape the event every year.
Neta publishes articles, analyses, and up-to-date reviews on all Eurovision developments, including musical trends, format changes, political influences, and audience reactions across Europe and Israel. Thanks to a deep connection to the contest’s history, Neta provides readers with wide-ranging context—from the impact of political events on results, to in-depth analyses of songs and languages within the competition. Neta specializes particularly in the Eurovision rock genre, Balkan ballads, and native language entries, with a special focus on Italian and Greek songs.
