Eurovision 2026: five nations plan to boycott Israel’s participation; 35 countries will compete
Earlier this month, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain announced they would skip the upcoming contest. Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania will be back in the lineup after recent absences for artistic or budgetary reasons.
Associated Press
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Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest confirmed a final field of 35 participating countries for next year’s event, following the decision by five nations to abstain in protest of Israel’s involvement.
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(Photo: Gil Nechushtan)
In the current edition, 37 countries participated, with Austria’s JJ winning the title. Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania are returning after missing recent editions for artistic or financial reasons.
The withdrawal by several long-standing, prominent participants — including Ireland, a nation tied for the most Eurovision victories — has cast political tensions onto the event and cooled the typically joyful mood of the competition.
Organizers confirmed Israel’s participation despite protests over its actions in Gaza and allegations of vote manipulation in favor of its contestants.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the alliance of public broadcasters from 56 countries that runs Eurovision, has denied any vote-rigging and introduced reforms aimed at addressing concerns. However, those measures did not persuade the broadcasters who chose to withdraw.
Eurovision remains one of the world’s most-viewed entertainment programs, drawing more than 100 million viewers annually. The conflict in Gaza over the past two years has sparked protests outside venues and led to stricter rules on political symbols and flag-waving.
Experts describe the boycott as one of Eurovision’s most serious crises, arriving at a moment when public broadcasters face funding pressures and competition for audiences from global platforms and social media.
Israeli officials welcomed the broad support from major EBU members for Israel’s right to participate and warned that excluding artists due to political disagreements could undermine freedom of expression.
