Four countries announce boycott of Eurovision after Israel allowed to enter
Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have all announced that they will not be taking part at Eurovision in 2026 after it was announced that Israel was granted permission to compete.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) voted on December 4th to introduce new rules designed to stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters.
However, they did not hold a vote on Israel’s participation.
As per BBC, the European Broadcasting Union, which includes the BBC, has shared that a “large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned,” after voting that they were happy with the measures.
Additionally, Israel has celebrated the announcement, stating that the decision “demonstrates solidarity, fellowship, and cooperation, and reinforces the spirit of affinity between nations through culture and music.”
However, Irish broadcaster RTÉ said, as per The Guardian, that it would not participate in the 2026 contest or broadcast the competition. “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk,” the broadcaster shared.
The Spanish broadcaster RTVE agreed after finding the process of decision-making as “insufficient” and engendering “distrust”.
RTVE also requested a secret ballot at a summit of broadcasters gathered in Geneva. However, the motion was rejected. They stated, “The EBU presidency has denied RTVE’s request for a specific vote on Israel’s participation.”
The statement continued, “This decision increases RTVE’s distrust of the festival’s organisation and confirms the political pressure surrounding it.”
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros will also withdraw from next year’s contest, sharing a statement that read, “After weighing all perspectives, Avrotros concludes that, under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation.”
RTVSLO, the Slovenian national broadcaster, first to threaten a boycott, also shared that participation “would conflict with its values of peace, equality and respect”.
Iceland has stated that it will consider its position on the matter at a board meeting next week.
The 2026 edition of the competition will be the 70th in its history. It will be held in Vienna, after the Austrian singer JJ took home the crown in 2025.
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