Fake note: why several countries have abandoned Eurovision 2026

The Eurovision music scene has long ceased to be just a song and choreography contest, turning into an arena of political statements. On Friday, December 5, it became known that four countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The reason for such a drastic step was the position of the organizers of the EBU General Assembly, which allowed Israel to participate in the event despite increased pressure amid the events in the Gaza Strip. At the moment, 31 countries have confirmed their participation, but the tension around the project continues to increase. About what this conflict can lead to is in the Izvestia article.

Collective boycott of Eurovision : what happened, latest news

On Friday, December 5, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia announced a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The decision was made after the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) voted to allow the representative of Israel to participate in the competition.

According to information from various sources, Portugal, Iceland and Belgium may also join the boycott, but no official confirmation has yet been received from their broadcasters.

Currently, 31 states are planning to participate. In the near future, all countries will have to re-confirm their applications. The final list of the 70th anniversary contest is promised to be published before the Catholic Christmas on December 25.

The image is under threat

The boycott of four countries has become a serious challenge for the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest. Such a decision may negatively affect both the international image of the contest and the interest of the audience, which is traditionally measured by tens of millions of viewers.

Despite this, EBU Secretary General Delphine Ernott-Kunchi stressed that the majority of countries' support for Israel's participation speaks to the desire to maintain the openness and transparency of the competition, even in the face of increasing political pressure.

While some countries are announcing their withdrawal, others are confirming their participation in Eurovision 2026. Major broadcasters in Germany and France are among them. This allows the organizers to count on maintaining the scale and status of the competition, even if some states decide to stay away.

Tension is at its limit

The protests against Israel's participation in Eurovision were caused by the IDF military operation in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 13, 2023, after the attack by Hamas militants on the Nova music festival. During the large-scale fighting, the region was almost destroyed. Civilian facilities such as hospitals, schools, and residential areas were hit. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the death toll has exceeded 70,000 people. In September 2025, the UN recognized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip as genocide. Against the background of these events, some European countries and public organizations opposed the participation of the Israeli delegation in the music competition.

The tense situation also affected the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Israel was represented at the contest by Yuval Rafael, a survivor of an Islamist attack. Her final performance was accompanied by boos, shouts of disapproval and the appearance of the Palestinian flag in the audience, which only highlighted the growing rift among the audience.

The winner of the 2025 contest, Johannes Pietsch (JJ), representing Austria, also publicly demanded that Israel be excluded from Eurovision. The musician stated that he was disappointed with the position of the organizers and would like the next competition in Vienna to be held without the participation of the Israeli delegation.

It should be borne in mind that the tension surrounding the participation of individual countries in the Eurovision Song Contest has arisen before. In 2024, the representative of the Netherlands, Joost Klein, was disqualified after a complaint from an employee of the film crew. At that time, his possible conflicts with the Israeli delegation were widely discussed in the media. During the press conference, Klein intervened in an interview with Israeli representative Eden Golan when a journalist asked her if she felt she was endangering other participants and viewers. Golan hesitated, and the producer of the contest noted that the singer was not obligated to answer every question. Then Klein intervened with the words: "Why not?" — after which the Israeli participant still had to answer.

A new round of scandal surrounding Israel's participation once again calls into question the future of Europe's most popular music competition. Despite possible financial losses and organizational difficulties, the EBU management insists on preserving the traditions and apolitical nature of the project. However, the question remains whether Eurovision will be able to maintain its unity in the face of an increasing split.

Double standards

In the context of the current scandal, the words of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have become particularly resonant. He said that the Israeli artist should not have participated in Eurovision 2025, accusing the organizers of the contest of double standards. After the start of the special military operation, Russia was excluded from the competition, and Israel's participation was allowed.

Russia has not participated in Eurovision since 2022. At that time, EBU Secretary General Martin Esterdahl noted that the decision to suspend the Russian contestants "was not easy," but it was necessary to preserve "the values of the contest — solidarity, mutual assistance and unification through music."

According to Sanchez and a number of European politicians, similar principles should be applied to Israel, since the participation of a country conducting military operations in Gaza calls into question the fairness and consistency of the organizers' decisions. The contest, traditionally positioned as a platform for cultural exchange and unity, is embroiled in international political disputes, which significantly complicates its organization and holding.