Watched by hundreds of millions of people each year, the Eurovision Song Contest is the ultimate celebration of national pride where countries battle it out and vote for Europe's favourite song. Don't miss out on the excitement in store with all the Eurovision betting opportunities available!
- Best Bookies for Eurovision
- Event Structure for the Eurovision
- Eurovision Betting Odds, Promotions, Tips & Predictions 2024
- 5 Reasons to Bet on the Eurovision
- Eurovision Betting Sites With Livestreaming
- Popular Eurovision Betting Markets
- History of the Eurovision
- UK in the Eurovision
- Eurovision Key Stats
- Similar Tournaments To the Eurovision Song Contest
- More Novelty Betting
- ThePuntersPage Final Say
- Eurovision Betting FAQs
Best Bookies for Eurovision
Bet £10 get £30 18+. New customers using Promo code R30 only. Min £10 stake, min odds ½, free bets paid as 3x £10, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment methods/player/country restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets 18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Bet £5 get £20 18+ New UK+ ROI Customers only. Deposit & Bet min £5 as first bet at minimum odds 1/2 to qualify for 1x £20 Free Bet. Certain deposit methods and bet types excluded. Free bet valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Bet £10 Get £40 18+ New UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required.
Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Bet £10 Get £30 18+. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org #ad
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Event Structure for the Eurovision
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In the months leading up to the Eurovision Song Contest, each participating country goes through a domestic national selection process to determine which artist will represent the country in that year’s competition. Each contest is hosted in the nation that won in the previous year, usually in May.
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All countries, with the exception of the Big 5 (UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain) and the host country, are divided into two semi-finals, where they compete against others in their group. The top 10 countries from each semi-final will qualify for the Grand Final, where they will join the Big 5 and host country for a total of 25 participants.
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During both semi-finals, which take place in the preceding week, as well as the Grand Final, all participants perform their original song in a predetermined order, with viewers invited to vote for their favourites.
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In 2016, the voting system was revised, and now each participating nation has a jury of professionals who are tasked with ranking their top 10 songs in descending order from 12 through one. During the broadcast, a series of live video calls to all of the capital cities around Europe are made, where one spokesperson will reveal to whome they are allocating their points. A second round of votes from the public takes place, which will establish another top 10 before the two sets of scores are added together, creating a final winning table where the winner of the Eurovision will be announced.
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While the winners do receive a trophy, the main prize is the honour of winning the Eurovision and having it hosted in the winner’s home country the following yea.
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All songs in the Eurovision must be a maximum of three minutes and sung live, whilst any instrumentals have to be pre-recorded and cannot be performed on-stage.
Eurovision Betting Odds, Promotions, Tips & Predictions 2024
Following Loreen's victory in Liverpool, the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Malmö, Sweden. At the time of writing, the dates are as follows:
- Semi-final 1: Tuesday 7th May
- Semi-final 2: Thursday 9th May
- Grand Final: Saturday 11th May
Eurovision Winner Betting Odds 2024
The odds for the 2024 Eurovision will be published here closer to the starting date of the event.
Eurovision Betting Tips & Predictions 2024
We'll add our expert tips and predictions here once the commencement of the contest draws closer.
Eurovision Betting Promotions 2024
At William Hill, new customers can claim £30 in free bets, which in turn can be used to bet on the Eurovision.
Meanwhile, at Paddy Power, you can reclaim a maximum of £10 if your first wager loses.
5 Reasons to Bet on the Eurovision
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It is one of the biggest extravaganzas of the year.
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It’s watched worldwide.
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The whole of Europe gets involved.
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It's a European must-see TV event.
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We get to crown the continent’s favourite song.
Eurovision Betting Sites With Livestreaming
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Betfred
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Paddy Power
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William Hill
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Coral
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bet365
Popular Eurovision Betting Markets
Traditionally one of the biggest nights of the year in Europe, the Eurovision Song Contest has been going on since 1956 and was designed to unify the post-war continent. Such is its success that it is now a global mega event watched by audiences around the globe. As a result, there are plenty of markets to choose from for punters, the best of which we have outlined below.
Winning Country
The main way to bet on the Eurovision Song Contest is, of course, to wager on the winning song and country of origin. All you need to do is select the nation that you think will win.
Over the years, Ireland have won the contest seven times, making them the most successful ever nation in Eurovision. That being said, they haven't won it since 1996. Meanwhile, Sweden, who have been famously represented by ABBA, are the second most successful nation with six wins.
Best Eurovision betting site for Winning Country: Betfred
Top Scandinavian Country
Given the pedigree that Scandinavian countries have in the Eurovision, some bookies will drill down markets, allowing you to wager on which Nordic nation will finish highest in the competition. Sweden, in particular, have been a formidable force, winning twice over the past decade. As mentioned above, they are the second most successful contestant in the competition’s history.
Best Eurovision betting site for Top Scandinavian Country: bet365
Top 3 and Top 5
Another popular option among the Eurovision bets is wagering on one or more nations to finish inside the top three or the top five. Some bookies may even offer top 10 betting. You may not want to bet patriotically – although the UK has won the contest five times and also has come second on a record 15 occasions, their record has been pretty atrocious since their last win in 1997.
Best Eurovision betting site for Top 3 and Top 5: bwin
Jury Betting
This is a wager on which country you believe will receive the most points from all of the juries in the Grand Final. It's worth bearing in mind that there has been more than a little political voting going on over the years, with related nations – Greece and Cyprus, we’re looking at you – voting favourably for each other. Since the introduction of televoting in 1998, Greece and Cyprus have given each other the maximum 12 points 18 years in a row. Neither have picked the most votes from all of the other juries, however.
Best Eurovision betting site for jury betting: Betfair
Last Place
Another straightforward wager is to bet on which song or country will finish bottom of the table on the night. It is hard to know before the night in question just how awful a song might actually be, but watching the semi-finals, which are broadcast on BBC 2 in the mid-week prior to the final, can give you a hint. Doing this might give you an idea of what the buzz is, or maybe you might even see a performance there that you think is bad enough to come last.
Best Eurovision betting site for Last Place: Paddy Power
History of the Eurovision
The idea for a Europe-wide music competition came about when the continent was still recovering from the Second World War, and unity between European nations was lacking. The first Eurovision Song Contest was held on 24th May 1956 and featured seven countries.
As the years went by, the popularity of the contest grew with the rules becoming more complex, and by the end of the 20th century, more than 40 different countries were taking part in a contest which millions of people would come to love.
Up until 1999, a live orchestra was required to accompany each song, but this was abolished in an attempt to modernise the event. In 2015, history was made when Australia became the first country from the Oceania region to participate in the Eurovision.
In 2020, the Eurovision was cancelled due to the pandemic that swept the world. On a more cheery note, this was also the year that Hollywood parodied the contest with the Will Ferrell Netflix comedy, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
In 2021, the show resumed with 2020’s planned city Rotterdam hosting, although on a much more scaled-down note.
In 2022, Ukraine stormed to victory in the 66th edition of Eurovision in Turin with their third triumph in the competition. Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania” won over the judges, and recorded 631 points. Normally, the winner is given hosting rights, but due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK successfully staged the 2023 competition instead in Liverpool.
This saw Loreen storm to victory, netting yet another triumph for Eurovision favourites, Sweden. Now tied with Ireland for most wins (seven each in total), the Swedes will be hosting the 2024 contest in Malmö.
Recent Eurovision Winners
| Year | Singer | Song | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Loreen | Tattoo | Sweden |
| 2022 | Kalush Orchestra | Stefania | Ukraine |
| 2021 | Måneskin | Zitti e buoni | Italy |
| 2020 | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| 2019 | Duncan Laurence | Arcade | Netherlands |
| 2018 | Netta | Toy | Israel |
| 2017 | Salvador Sobral | Amar pelos dois | Portugal |
| 2016 | Jamala | 1944 | Ukraine |
| 2915 | Mans Zelmerlow | Heroes | Sweden |
| 2014 | Conchita Wurst | Rise Like a Phoenix | Austria |
| 2013 | Emmelie de Forest | Only Teardrops | Denmark |
| 2012 | Loreen | Euphoria | Sweden |
| 2011 | Ell & Nikki | Running Scared | Azerbaijan |
| 2010 | Lena | Satellite | Germany |
Most Successful Countries in the Eurovision
| Wins | Country | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Ireland | 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 |
| 7 | Sweden | 1974, 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012, 2015, 2023 |
| 5 | France | 1958, 1960, 1962, 1969, 1977 |
| 5 | Luxembourg | 1961, 1965, 1972, 1983 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 1967, 1969, 1976, 1981, 1997 |
| 5 | Netherlands | 1957, 1959, 1969, 1975, 2019 |
| 4 | Israel | 1978, 1979, 1998, 2018 |
| 3 | Norway | 1985, 1995, 2009 |
| 3 | Denmark | 1963, 2000, 2013 |
UK in the Eurovision
The UK has a bit of a chequered history when it comes to the Eurovision. Although they have been named the winners on five occasions, with their most recent in 1997, there have been some abysmal performances ever since.
In 2021, for example, James Newman’s song “Embers” failed to get lift-off and didn’t score a single point. Indeed, it was one of two entries that claimed nil points for the UK in the content's history.
The weight of expectation for the 2023 edition fell on the shoulders of Mae Muller, who represented the UK with “I Wrote A Song”. The 25-year-old hoped to emulate Sam Ryder, who finished second the previous year, making that the country's best performance in two decades. However, it was not to be, with Muller ending in 25th place with a disappointing 24 points.
Eurovision Key Stats
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Ireland and Sweden are the most successful countries in Eurovision, both having won the contest seven times.
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Germany has taken part in the Eurovision a record 63 times.
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Italy once boycotted the Eurovision in 1981, saying that it was too old-fashioned.
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Performances are not allowed to have more than six people on stage.
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Cyprus holds the record for most years in the ESC without getting a win, with 38 attempts in total. This is closely followed by Malta and Iceland, with 33 attempts each.
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It took the United Kingdom 11 years to record a win in this event.
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At the time of writing, never has the second song performed on the night ever gone on to win the contest.
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Amazingly, in 1969, four countries – UK, Spain, France and the Netherlands – jointly won the Eurovision.
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In 2001, the largest audience (38,000) was in attendance for the Eurovision in Copenhagen where Estonia won.
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Norway have the unenviable record of finishing bottom of the scoreboard as many as 11 times.
Similar Tournaments To the Eurovision Song Contest
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Love Island: A group of young adult men and women are flown out to Majorca in order to find love on TV.
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Strictly Come Dancing: In this show, celebrities perform a series of dances each week, with the public getting involved in the voting.
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I’m a Celebrity: Usually filmed in Australia, this show features a group of celebrities who are forced to survive in the jungle and endure a series of grim trials.
More Novelty Betting
ThePuntersPage Final Say
The Eurovision Song Contest is something we all love to hate – and hate to love. The level of entertainment provided by this competition is like no other, which is what makes the Contest such a big part of the European music scene.
No matter your interest, we would absolutely suggest opting for some Eurovision betting on the night itself – it's a great example of what novelty betting has to offer. Even if it's not exactly your thing, putting money on who you think will qualify to compete in the final to become the overall winner will definitely make the whole event more exciting.
Eurovision Betting FAQs
Our favourite sites for betting on the Eurovision are Paddy Power, William Hill, and Ladbrokes.
The dates for the 2024 Eurovision are: Semi-final 1: 7th May; Semi-final 2: 9th May; Grand Final: 11th May.
The final and the preceding rounds are usually broadcast across the BBC.
The 2024 Eurovision Contest will be held in Malmö, with Swedish singer Loreen having won the 2023 competition.
At the time of writing, the entry for the UK has not yet been announced.