Ireland among countries boycotting Eurovision Song Contest 2026 over Israel

Several countries have pulled out of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after Israel’s participation was confirmed.

Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia have announced they will boycott the singing competition, after the general assembly in Geneva on Thursday to discuss the future of the competition.

The BBC has yet to confirm whether it will participate but the Conservatives said it is “absolutely right” for Israel to be part of Eurovision and that boycotts announced by several countries are “deeply concerning”.

Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston said: “It is deeply concerning to see so many countries choosing to boycott the event because of Israel’s inclusion. Music should be a uniting force, not a tool to be weaponised for political ends.

“We trust the Government will clearly rule out joining or legitimising this boycott in any capacity.”

Irish national broadcaster RTE said it will not broadcast or take part in the song contest, describing its participation as “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza”.

The RTE statement said: “Following today’s EBU winter general assembly in Geneva at which Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was confirmed, RTE’s position remains unchanged.

“RTE will not participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, nor will RTE broadcast the competition.

“RTE feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.

“RTE remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory.”

The 2026 contest will be held in Vienna after a narrow victory by Austria’s act, JJ, with Wasted Love, beat Israeli singer Yuval Raphael, who was runner-up after receiving the largest number of votes from the public combined with the jury votes.

In September, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia threatened to withdraw unless Israel was excluded over the war in Gaza.

Dutch broadcaster Avrotros also announced that it would not broadcast the competition, saying it would be “incompatible with the public values that are essential to us”.

Taco Zimmerman, chief executive, said: “This was not an easy decision, and we didn’t make it lightly.

“The Eurovision Song Contest is incredibly valuable to us. Culture unites, but not at all costs. What happened last year touches our boundaries.

“Universal values like humanity and a free press have been seriously violated and are non-negotiable for us. Furthermore, last year’s political interference demonstrated that the independence and unifying nature of the Eurovision Song Contest can no longer be taken for granted.

“We choose the core values of Avrotros and, as a public broadcaster, have the responsibility to remain true to these values, even when that is complicated or vulnerable.”

The Dutch public broadcasting organisation NPO will continue to ensure that next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will remain available for Dutch viewers and fans.

Slovenian broadcaster RTV said it was pulling out of the competition “on behalf of the 20,00 children who died in Gaza”.

In her address to members before the decision, Natalija Gorsck, RTV Slovenia board chairwoman, said: “For the third year in a row, the public has demanded that we say no to the participation of any country that attacks another country. We must follow European standards for peace and understanding.

“Eurovision has been a place for joy and happiness from the very beginning, performers and audiences have been united by music, and it should remain that way.

“Our journalists were not and still are not allowed to enter Gaza, where more than 200 journalists were killed. Last year we saw that the Israeli performance was political. Don’t forget that we banned a similar performance by a Russian singer in Ukraine.

“Our message is: we will not participate in the ESC if Israel is there. On behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza.”

In response to the decision to allow Israel to compete at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, the country’s president Isaac Herzog wrote on X: “Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world, a cause to which I am fully and actively committed.

“I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest and I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations and cross-border cultural understanding.

“Thank you to all our friends who stood up for Israel’s right to continue to contribute and compete at Eurovision. This decision demonstrates solidarity, fellowship and co-operation, and reinforces the spirit of affinity between nations through culture and music.”

Iceland broadcaster RUV said its board would discuss whether it would participate at a meeting next Wednesday after previously agreeing to a motion to recommend Israel be expelled from the contest.

Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but Israel has continued to compete for the past couple of years despite disputes.

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated against Israel’s inclusion near a free concert in the centre of Basel when the 2025 competition took place.