Eurovision 2026 boycott explained as countries and broadcasters pull out over Israel's war in Gaza
A number of countries are refusing to take part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have not sent competitors to the 70th iteration of the song competition, which starts in Vienna on Tuesday and culminates in the final on Saturday.
The Netherlands and Iceland are also not sending acts to compete in Eurovision but will air the final. The five countries contribute the most to Eurovision financially.
Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but Israel has continued to compete.
Several broadcasters are also boycotting airing the event, with Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE planning to show an episode of the comedy Father Ted instead.
On Saturday night, RTE 2 will air the Irish sitcom’s Eurovision-themed episode A Song For Europe, where priests Ted and Dougal perform My Lovely Horse.
The Slovenian broadcaster will air a series of documentaries on the Middle East under the theme Voices of Palestine, while broadcaster RTVE will screen its own musical special.
The five nations announced their boycott in December, after Israel were given the all-clear to take part before participating broadcasters were given a vote on its inclusion.
The Hamas-run health ministry estimates that 72,300 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s war in Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7 2023.
The boycott came about after members attended a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) general assembly in Geneva to vote on changes, which included new rules to deter countries from organising campaigns for their acts following concerns around the number of public votes Israel received in 2025.
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael received the largest number of votes from the public last May, ultimately finishing as runner-up after the jury votes were taken into account.
After the 2025 competition, RTE requested a breakdown in voting numbers from the EBU while Spain’s public broadcaster, Radio Television Espanola (RTVE), called for a “complete review” of the voting system to avoid “external interference”.
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Rallies in support of and in protest against Israel’s participation at Eurovision will be held in Vienna on Tuesday and Thursday, alongside the Austrian capital’s two semi-finals.
Around 3,000 protesters are expected for a rally in Vienna on Friday to mark Palestinian Nakba Day.
The rally is intended to honour the more than 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.
On the day of the final, Vienna police said they were expecting about 3,000 people to take part in a protest march under the motto “Solidarity with Palestine”.
A counter-protest titled “12 points against anti-Zionism – for Israel’s participation at Eurovision” has been registered for 50 to 100 participants.