ESCAPE (Eurovision Song Contest as an Arena for Pluralism and Europeanness)
funded by the SEED4EU+ Programme of the European University Alliance | Period: 2026
From January 2026, the ESCAPE project (Eurovision Song Contest as an Arena for Pluralism and Europeanness) will commence its work, funded by the SEED4EU+ programme. Over the course of a year, it will examine how the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) functions as a transnational arena in which European identity, values and belonging are negotiated, questioned and reshaped. To mark the 70th anniversary of the ESC in 2026, the project views the contest as a unique European cultural platform whose reach is comparable only to global events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With its exceptional visibility and its ability to generate both unity and controversy, the ESC offers an unparalleled perspective from which to examine the pluralities, tensions and crises of today’s Europe.
ESCAPE is divided into three interdisciplinary work packages: (1) Actors and institutions, analysing governance, decision-making and value negotiations; (2) Media representations, mapping coverage in mainstream and participatory media and its impact on conceptions of European identity; and (3) Belonging and othering, investigating how music, performance and audience practices both reinforce and challenge dominant narratives of European identity.
The project is carried out by eight researchers from five 4EU+ universities, bringing together expertise in the fields of communication and media, musicology, cultural history and area studies. ESCAPE aims to establish a sustainable research network that generates comparable data, innovative methods and enduring tools for future, EU-funded research.