Eurovision opens in Vienna amid unprecedented Israel boycott

Israel Faces Eurovision Boycott From Multiple Countries Over Gaza

The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest opened its first semifinal in Vienna on Tuesday evening under the shadow of an unprecedented boycott, with five countries refusing to participate and three public broadcasters declining to air the event altogether over Israel’s continued presence in the competition.

Five Nations Sit Out

Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain are all boycotting the 70th edition of the contest — the largest coordinated withdrawal since 1970 — reducing the field to 35 competing nations, the fewest since entry rules were expanded in 2004. The boycotting countries pulled out after the European Broadcasting Union declined in December to hold a vote on excluding Israel, instead adopting a package of reforms it said were backed by “a large majority of members”.bbc

On Monday, public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia announced they would not air any of the week’s events. RTÉ, Ireland’s public broadcaster, replaced its usual Eurovision programming with reruns of “Father Ted” and Irish cinema. Spain’s RTVE is running its own musical special, “The House of Music,” while Slovenian broadcaster RTV said it would instead air a series called “Voices of Palestine”. Broadcasters in Iceland and the Netherlands, while not competing, will still screen the shows.dw

Artists and Rights Groups Add Pressure

More than 1,100 musicians and cultural workers — including Macklemore, Brian Eno, Paloma Faith, Massive Attack, Kneecap, and members of Sigur Rós — signed an open letter in April organized by No Music for Genocide and the BDS movement, calling on fans to reject the contest. The letter accused the EBU of “hypocritical responses to Russia’s and Israel’s crimes,” noting that Russia was banned after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine while Israel remains eligible despite what the signatories described as a genocide in Gaza.middleeasteye

Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard called the EBU’s refusal to suspend Israel “an act of cowardice and an illustration of blatant double standards,” adding that Israel’s participation “offers the country a platform to try to deflect attention from its ongoing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip”. Nemo, the Swiss winner of the 2024 contest, returned their trophy after Israel was cleared to compete.rte

Contest Proceeds Amid Tensions

Israel’s representative, Noam Bettan, is set to perform the song “Michelle” in Tuesday’s first semifinal. Over the weekend, Eurovision organizers issued a formal warning to Israeli broadcaster KAN after promotional videos encouraged viewers to “vote 10 times” for Israel’s entry, with contest director Martin Green saying the videos were “not in line with the rules or the spirit of the competition”. The grand final is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle.eurovisionworld