Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia to Boycott Eurovision 2026 Following Israel’s Participation
Geneva (QNN)- Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, after Israel was allowed to compete. They were among a number of countries who had called for Israel to be excluded over the genocide in Gaza.
No vote on Israel’s participation was held on Thursday at the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the body that organises the competition.
“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, with the additional safeguards in place,” the EBU said in a statement.
In response, the Irish broadcaster RTÉ said 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 said in a statement.
The Spanish broadcaster RTVE also said it would not broadcast the contest or the semi-finals in Vienna next year, describing the process of decision-making as “insufficient” and engendering “distrust”.
In a statement, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said that "participation under the current circumstances is incompatible with the public values that are essential to us".
Spanish broadcaster RTVE added: "The board of directors of RTVE agreed last September that Spain would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel was part of it."
"This withdrawal also means that RTVE will not broadcast the Eurovision 2026 final... nor the preliminary semi-finals."
Slovenia's broadcaster RTV added that their position also "remains unchanged" and said the move came “on behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza”.
"The recent rule changes do not alter our view. As a public service broadcaster, RTV Slovenia is committed to upholding ethical principles and expects that equal rules and standards apply to all EBU members and all participating countries."
Iceland's RÚV was one of the public broadcasters calling for Israel to be banned from next year's contest in Vienna. It has not yet decided whether it will boycott the 2026 show. RÚV's board says it will make the decision next Wednesday.
Belgium's broadcaster said it would "take a position in the coming days".
The Spanish national broadcaster, along with seven other countries, had formally requested a secret ballot at a summit of broadcasters in Geneva on Thursday.
“The EBU presidency has denied RTVE’s request for a specific vote on Israel’s participation. This decision increases RTVE’s distrust of the festival’s organisation and confirms the political pressure surrounding it,” it said in a statement.
Spain’s culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, backed the boycott. He said: “You can’t whitewash Israel given the genocide in Gaza. Culture should be on the side of peace and justice. I’m proud of an RTVE that puts human rights before any economic interest.”
At the meeting on Thursday, EBU members discussed new rules designed to stop governments and third parties from promoting songs to influence voters.
“The situation in Gaza, despite the ceasefire and the approval of the peace process, and the use of the contest for political goals by Israel, make it increasingly difficult to keep Eurovision a neutral cultural event,” RTVE secretary-general, Alfonso Morales, said in a statement.
The EBU excluded Russia from the competition shortly after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Recent editions of Eurovision have been overshadowed by opposition to Israel’s participation in the contest over its ongoing genocide in Gaza which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
If the EBU fails to act, it risks a major split within Europe’s most-watched cultural event. For many broadcasters, the contest is no longer just about music, but about taking a stand on Gaza.
