Four countries will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after it was confirmed that Israel would be able to compete. Several other countries have also threatened to withdraw.
There has been pressure on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ban Israel since October 2023.
Which countries will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2026?
Spain, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. This comes after it was decided Israel would be allowed to compete.
Spain, one of the “big five” countries whose slot in the final is guaranteed each year, was among the first to boycott. The president of state broadcaster RTVE also confirmed they would not be airing the 2026 contest.
RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, stated 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”.
Similarly, Natalija Gorscak, head of Slovenia’s national broadcaster, RTV, stated:
“Our message is: we will not participate in the ESC [Eurovision Song Contest] if Israel is there. On behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, the Netherlands broadcaster AVROTROS expressed “deep concern” about the contest. Additionally, countries including Belgium, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden have also threatened to boycott.
Why is Israel allowed to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026?
The EBU decided against calling a vote on Israel’s participation. Instead, they passed new rules to discourage government and third-party interference in voting. “We are taking clear and decisive steps to ensure the contest remains a celebration of music and unity,” the EBU said in a statement. The EBU said all members who complied with the new rules were eligible to compete.
This follows Israel’s surprise second-place finish in the 2025 contest. It led some to raise concerns about the transparency of the voting system.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, supported the decision to allow the country to compete. He posted to X, “I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding.”
Will Australia broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest 2026?
Yes. Broadcaster SBS has announced it will still be broadcasting the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
In a statement, SBS said, “Eurovision was created to bring people together through music, a purpose that continues to guide the contest and has shaped SBS’s broadcast for more than 40 years … as a public broadcaster, making a decision to be involved based on the inclusion or exclusion of any country would undermine SBS’s editorial independence and impartiality.”
The 2026 event takes place in Vienna in May.
