Iceland has announced its decision to join Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in withdrawing from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, writes the BBC.
The decision by all countries to boycott Eurovision is related to the decision made last week, when the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) allowed Israel to participate in the song contest. Stefan Eiriksson, director general of Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV, said that the current circumstances do not allow the contest to be associated with peace or joy, and therefore Iceland will withdraw from Eurovision until the situation changes. RÚV noted that Israel’s participation has divided both the EBU and the contest’s viewers.
The decision was agreed by the Broadcasting Council on the 10th of December, just hours before the deadline for countries to announce their participation in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled for May.
Eurovision Director Martin Green said he respected the decision of all broadcasters who had decided not to participate in the 2026 contest and hoped to welcome them back soon.
Israel’s participation in Eurovision has been a source of growing tension.
Concerns have been raised over Israel’s actions in Gaza, as well as attempts to influence the voting process. There has been speculation that the Israeli government tried to influence the results of the vote this year.
New rules were adopted at an EBU meeting in early December, aimed at ensuring that the voting is fair. Most member states subsequently confirmed that they would take part in the contest in Vienna in May 2026.
The RÚV board had previously approved a recommendation calling on the EBU to bar Israel from the 2026 contest, and Iceland was among seven countries that called for a vote in favor of Israel’s participation, but the request was rejected. RÚV said that while the new rules had alleviated concerns, doubts remained as to whether they were fully satisfactory for the fair conduct of the contest. “It is a complex matter which has already damaged the contest’s reputation and EBU, emphasizing the necessity of a solution for all concerned parties,” the Icelandic broadcaster said in a statement.
Golan Yochpaz, the CEO of Israeli broadcaster KAN, has criticized those seeking to exclude Israel. He said such efforts amounted to a cultural boycott: “A boycott may begin today with Israel, but no one knows where it will end or who else it may harm.
Is this what we truly want this contest to be remembered for on its 70th anniversary?”
Israel has participated in the contest since 1973 and has won it four times. Iceland has never won first place.
Meanwhile, Poland confirmed its participation in Eurovision on the 10th of December. Polish broadcaster TVP said it was aware of the level of tension surrounding next year’s event and understood the emotions surrounding it. “However, we believe that Eurovision still has a chance to once again become a space filled with music – and only music. We are giving it that chance, just as the vast majority of EBU members are,” TVP said.
Read also: Israel allowed to enter Eurovision 2026; four countries pull out