Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Iceland have confirmed they will not compete at Eurovision 2026, after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed Israel’s participation.
Eurovision 2024 winner, Swiss singer Nemo, said they will return their trophy over a “clear conflict” between Israel’s actions and Eurovision’s ideals.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the countries’ boycott a “disgrace”.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
The Eurovision Song Contest is administered by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Its members represent 56 countries, not all of which are in Europe, such as Algeria, Egypt, and Israel.
All members are eligible to take part in Eurovision. Australia is an associate member as it is outside of the European Broadcasting Area.
Broadcasters choose a song and an artist to represent them, often through national competitions.
The EBU describes itself as an “apolitical member organisation”.
The day after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the EBU board announced it would exclude Russia from Eurovision.
The EBU said the decision was made over concerns “the inclusion of a Russian entry... would bring the competition into disrepute.”
Currently, Eurovision’s website says Russian broadcasters were suspended over “consistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service media values.”
Israel vote
In January 2024, more than 1,000 artists from that year’s host country, Sweden, called for Israel to be excluded.
The EBU declined, saying Eurovision is “a non-political music event”.
In May this year, 77 ex-Eurovision contestants signed an open letter to the EBU “to demand the exclusion of KAN,” an Israeli broadcaster. Australian singer Montaigne – who competed in 2021 – was among the signatories.
The letter accused KAN of being“complicit in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.”
On 4 December, the EBU held a general meeting, where it said “alarge majority of Members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation.”
The EBU said members had decided “that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned”.
The statement did not directly reference Israel, but said thatmany members had “stress[ed] the importance of protecting... the freedom of the press to report, not least in conflict zones such as Gaza.”
Israel has barred internationaljournalists from entering Gazaindependently (without Israeli representatives) since October 2023.
In January 2024, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected a petition from the Foreign Press Association (FPA) to “allow independent access for journalists to report in the Gaza Strip”.
The FPA said Israel’s decision was based on security concerns.
After the 10 October ceasefire came into effect, the EBU demanded Israeli authorities “allow foreign journalists free and full access to Gaza”.
Boycott
Following the 4 December meeting, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia announced a boycott.
Ireland is tied with Sweden for the most Eurovision wins. Its national broadcaster RTÉ said itsparticipation would be “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza”.
“RTÉ remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict,” it added.
Reporters Without Borders reports Israeli forces have killed more than 200 journalists in Gaza since October 2023.
Spain’s RTVE is part of the ‘Big Five’ broadcasters, which make the largest financial contributions to Eurovision.
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RTVE General Secretary Alfonso Morales said: “The humanitarian situation in Gaza and the use of the contest for political objectives by Israel make it increasingly difficult to maintain Eurovision as a neutral cultural event.”
Iceland has since announced it will also not participate.
2024 winner
Swiss singer Nemo won thecontest in 2024 with ‘The Code’.
Nemo announced on social media on Friday: “I’m sending my trophy back to the EBU headquarters in Geneva.”
They said they had made the decision based on “Israel’s continued participation, during what the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded to be a genocide.”
The commission, based in the UN’s human rights office, examined Israeli military actions and comments by political leadership from 7 October 2023 to 31 July 2025.
Genocide is defined under international law as killing members of a “national, ethnical, racial, or religious group,” or making their survival impossible.
Israel has denied the allegations.
Genocide allegations
In September, a UN commission of inquiry found Israel has carried out a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
The commission, based in the UN’s human rights office, examinedIsraeli military actions and comments by political leadership from 7 October 2023 to 31 July 2025.
Genocide is defined under international law as killing members of a “national, ethnical, racial, or religious group,” or making their survival impossible.
The commission found Israeli forces have, with the approval of leadership:
- killed “unprecedented numbers” of Palestinians in Gaza
- caused them “serious bodily or mental harm,”
- created conditions “calculated to bring about [their] destruction,”
- and worked to prevent more Palestinians from being born, e.g.by bombing maternity hospitals and an IVF clinic.
A separate committee from the UN human rights office found Israel’s actions were “consistent with genocide” in November 2024.
Israel has denied the allegations.
Israel response
In a post to X, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’arwelcomed the EBU’s decision to continue to allow Israel to participate.
Sa’ar said he was “ashamedof those countries that chose to boycott a musiccompetition like Eurovision”.
“The disgrace is upon them,” he added.
Australia’s stance
As an EBU associate broadcaster, SBS has broadcasted the Eurovision in Australia since 1983.
The EBU decides if associate members may also be eligible to participate in Eurovision on a case-by-case basis.
SBS has confirmed that Australia will compete in next year’s Eurovision.
On 7 December, a rally was held outside the SBS headquarters in Melbourne, calling on the broadcaster to boycott Eurovision.
An SBS spokesperson said: “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.”
