US EditionEurNOvision: Spain, Ireland, Netherlands and Slovenia Boycott Competition over Israel Vote - Press Review
Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s participation citing humanitarian concerns and unfair voting, prompting other broadcasters to reconsider.
- On Friday, December 5 the European Broadcasting Union held a secret ballot and backed Israel's participation in Eurovision 2026, sparking withdrawals from Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Ireland.
- Citing the war in Gaza and vote-allegations, broadcasters including Spain's RTVE protested Israel's war and alleged vote interference, with RTV pulling out `on behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza`.
- Broadcasters justified exits on values grounds, with Spain's withdrawal removing €350,000 from the five top funders, increasing Eurovision's financial strain.
- Four countries have already withdrawn, some broadcasters including Dutch Avrotros and Irish RTE will not air the contest, while Belgium's and Iceland's broadcasters review their positions.
- With Vienna as host, organisers are seeking new participants to cover absences, extending registration and urging Romania and Bulgaria to fill gaps amid Eurovision 2026's financial risks.
40 Articles
40 Articles
Representatives of the Federal Government criticise the boycott of the ESC by several EU states. Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands had announced that they would stay away from the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna in May. The reason is that Israel is allowed to participate. The Left Party of Germany believes that Palestinian artists should also be present.
Slovenia is one of four countries that have chosen not to participate in next year's Eurovision song contest. According to Natalija Gorščak, chairwoman of the board of the Slovenian public service broadcaster RTV SLO, it is mainly because the EBU did not handle Israel's participation in the same way as Russia's.
Several countries boycott the ESC because of Israel's participation. How much politics does culture tolerate and what does it mean for Europe's music scene?
This is the end of Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest has always been about more than music: it is a celebration of the sheer, silly chaos that ensues when thousands of people gather to enjoy thumping euro-beats, ridiculous costumes and the enthusiastic waving of tiny flags. But that spell has surely now been broken with ongoing tensions over the participation of Israel, leading to the exit this week of Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia – a move that threatens…
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