Mark Savage
Music correspondent
Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after organisers allowed Israel to take part.
Those broadcasters had been among several calling for Israel’s exclusion over the war in Gaza and accusations of unfair voting practices. Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE had pushed for a secret ballot on the matter at a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva, saying organisers denied that request and that the outcome “increased [our] distrust of the festival’s organisation.” Ireland’s RTÉ said 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.”
Spain is one of Eurovision’s “Big Five” — along with France, Germany, Italy and the UK — whose broadcasters contribute the most to the EBU and whose acts go straight to the final. About 50 broadcasters, including the BBC, attended the Geneva meeting to discuss the contest’s future, which is watched by more than 150 million people annually.
Delegates were asked to support new rules aimed at discouraging governments and third parties from organising voting campaigns after allegations that Israel had unfairly boosted its 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael. BBC News understands that approval of those measures was tied to a clause in which members agreed not to proceed with a separate vote on Israel’s participation. The EBU said: “This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part.”
Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said members were “given an opportunity to debate” Israel’s place and described the discussion as “full, frank and honest and quite moving,” adding that the emphatic result reflected a belief that Eurovision “shouldn’t be used as a political theatre” and must retain neutrality.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, praised the decision to allow participation as “an appreciated gesture of solidarity, brotherhood, and co-operation,” and said he hoped the competition would continue to “sanctify culture, poetry, and friendship between peoples.” The CEO of Israel’s broadcaster KAN described attempts to disqualify the entry as a “cultural boycott,” warning that “a boycott may begin today – with Israel – but no-one knows where it will end or who else it may harm.”
The BBC said it supported the collective EBU decision, framing it as enforcement of the EBU’s rules and inclusivity.
The ruling has exposed a sharp split within the Eurovision community. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said participation “under the current circumstances is incompatible with the public values … that are essential to us.” RTVE confirmed it had decided last September to withdraw if Israel took part and said it would not broadcast the 2026 final or semi-finals. Slovenia’s RTV said its position was unchanged, stressing it upholds ethical principles and expects equal rules for all members. Belgium’s broadcaster said it would “take a position in the coming days.”
Some broadcasters welcomed the EBU’s approach. Nordic members from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland issued a joint statement supporting the decision to address “critical shortcomings” in the voting system. However, Iceland’s RÚV said it would delay a final participation decision until the following week.
Germany, which had warned it might quit the contest if Israel were removed, welcomed the decision. Broadcaster ARD said it was “looking forward to participating” in 2026, calling Eurovision a celebration of cultural diversity and solidarity, while expressing regret at the withdrawals of some EBU members and respecting their choices.
Background context includes the 2025 contest in Basel, Switzerland, where Israeli singer Yuval Raphael — who survived the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack — competed, and Austrian singer JJ ultimately won, displacing Israel from the top spot. The dispute over voting and the political sensitivities around the Gaza war have brought longstanding questions about the contest’s political neutrality and the role of broadcasters into sharp relief ahead of Eurovision’s 70th anniversary.
