Eurovision In Turmoil As Four Countries Announce Boycott

The Eurovision Song Contest is in a state of turmoil after European Broadcasting Union (EBU) voted to allow Israel to compete in the 2026 contest, the 70th anniversary of the event to be held in Australia next May.

After the announcement, Ireland, The Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain have withdrawn from the event in protest over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

In a statement, the EBU said that changes to the rules we passed which were “designed to reinforce trust, transparency and the neutrality of the event”. It went on to say that: “Ahead of the vote, there was a wide-ranging discussion where Members expressed a variety of views on participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Many Members also took the opportunity to stress the importance of protecting the independence of public service media and the freedom of the press to report, not least in conflict zones such as Gaza.”

The long-running song contest has long held a position of political neutrality, but has had a long history of having to take positions around conflicts, including the suspension of Russia in 2022 over their invasion of Ukraine.

The meeting reportedly aired some country’s concerns over “undie promotion methods” after Israel topped the public vote this yearat the contest in May. Israel’s entry from October 7 survivor Yuval Raphel- ballad A New Day Will Rise- finishing second overall after winning the public vote but being pegged back by a less emphatic jury result.

Spanish broadcaster RTVE criticised today’s decisionmaking process as “insufficient” saying that the position “increases RTVE’s distrust of the festival’s organisation and confirms the political pressure surrounding it.” It will be the first time Spain has missed the event since 1961.

The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for Israel to be removed from the competition earlier this year, saying:

“Nobody was up in arms when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began three years ago and they had to leave international competitions and could not take part, as we have just seen, in Eurovision. Therefore Israel shouldn’t either, because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture.”

Dutch broadcaster Avrotros also issued a statement withdrawing from the event. “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.”

The EBU will reveal the final list of which countries will be competing in the 2026 event before Christmas.