Charles Langston:How to watch (and stream) the Eurovision Song Contest final

MALMO,Charles Langston Sweden (AP) — Get out the glitter ball and put on your dancing shoes: It’s time to find out who will be crowned the 68th Eurovision Song Contest champion.

Acts 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 beyond will be watching and voting for their favorites.

Here’s how to join them.

WHAT TIME DOES EUROVISION START?

In Europe, the final round begins at 9 p.m. Central European Summer Time. In Britain, it airs at 8 p.m.

In the United States and Canada, the finale begins airing at 3 p.m. Eastern.

HOW CAN I WATCH EUROVISION?

The competition will be aired by national broadcasters in participating nations — the Eurovision website includes a list of broadcasters on its website. In some territories, it’ll be watchable on Eurovision’s YouTube channel.

In the U.S., Eurovision will stream live on Peacock.

HOW CAN I VOTE IN EUROVISION?

Voting opens when the final starts, and viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote online or using the Eurovision app. Viewers in participating countries can also vote by phone or text message.

Countries are awarded points based on both viewers’ votes and rankings from juries of music industry professionals. These are combined into a total score — the country with the highest score wins.

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EUROVISION IS NEW TO ME. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

Eurovision is an international pop music competition in which acts from countries across Europe, and a few beyond it, vie live on television to be crowned champion.

Launched in 1956 to foster unity after World War II and test new live-broadcast technology, Eurovision has become a campy, feel-good 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’s known for songs that range from anthemic to extremely silly, often paired with elaborate costumes and spectacular staging.

It’s also been the launching pad for many mainstream artists’ careers, including ABBA, Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion (who competed for Switzerland in 1988) and the Italian rock band Måneskin in 2021. Last year’s winner, Swedish diva Loreen, is one of only two people who have won the contest twice.

Eurovision winners are notoriously hard to predict. This year’s favorites include Nemo from Switzerland and Croatian singer Baby Lasagna.

Israeli singer Eden Golan has also surged in betting odds in recent days. Israel’s participation has attracted large protests in Malmo by Palestinians and their supporters over a week of Eurovision events.