ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel's participation

festival-fair · 2026-05-10

Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia have announced they will not broadcast the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled for 2026 in Vienna, in protest against the European Broadcasting Union's decision to allow Israel to participate. The three countries, which had previously indicated they would boycott the event, cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza as the reason for their stance. The EBU has faced increasing pressure from artists and governments to exclude Israel, but has maintained that the contest should remain apolitical. The boycott marks a significant escalation in the cultural dispute surrounding Israel's involvement in international events.

Key facts

  • Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia will not broadcast Eurovision 2026.
  • The 70th edition of Eurovision is scheduled for 2026 in Vienna.
  • The boycott is in protest of Israel's participation.
  • The European Broadcasting Union decided to maintain Israel's participation.
  • The three countries had previously announced their intention to boycott.
  • The protest is related to the conflict in Gaza.
  • The EBU has faced pressure to exclude Israel.
  • The EBU maintains the contest should be apolitical.

Entities

Artists

  • Yuval Raphael
  • Noam Bettan
  • Dana International
  • Kalush Orchestra
  • Sam Ryder
  • Pete Parkkonen
  • Linda Lampenius
  • Loreen
  • Martin Green
  • Rob Lilley-Jones
  • Marcos Maximillian Tritremmel
  • Philip Dore
  • Dean Vuletic
  • Delta Goodrem
  • Cosmo
  • JJ
  • Macklemore
  • Massive Attack

Institutions

  • European Broadcasting Union
  • Eurovision Song Contest
  • European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
  • Kan (Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation)
  • RTV (Slovenia)
  • RÚV (Iceland)
  • Avrotros (Netherlands)
  • RTVE (Spain)
  • BBC
  • VRT (Flanders)
  • Hamas
  • RTVE
  • Wiener Stadthalle
  • University of Linnaeus
  • AFP
  • New York Times
  • Eurovision Hub
  • Eirevision podcast
  • ESC Insight
  • Euro Trip podcast
  • Der Spiegel
  • Austria's Eurovision fan club
  • Union européenne de radio-télévision (UER)
  • KAN
  • CGT du spectacle

Locations

  • Spain
  • Ireland
  • Slovenia
  • Vienna
  • Austria
  • Israel
  • Basel
  • Switzerland
  • Tel Aviv
  • Ukraine
  • Russia
  • Netherlands
  • Iceland
  • Gaza
  • Cyprus
  • Turkey
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Nagorno-Karabakh
  • Lebanon
  • Morocco
  • Madrid
  • Moscow
  • Iran
  • Sweden
  • Malmö
  • Finland
  • Greece
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Australia
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • United Kingdom

Sources