Which countries are boycotting Eurovision 2026?

Tonight the final of the Eurovision Song Contest will get underway in Vienna, but several countries have been noticeably absent this time around.

Last year, five countries – Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia – announced they were boycotting the event due to Israel’s ongoing inclusion.

Over the past few years, the European Broadcasting Union has faced increasing pressure to disqualify Israel from the contest given the current genocide in Gaza.

Late last year, there was also a vote by EBU members on measures to prevent political interference and fraudulent votes, which followed scrutiny of Israel’s public vote in last year’s contest.

At the time of announcing their exit from Eurovision, Ireland’s RTÉ said it felt that its ‘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’.

This week, it was also revealed that the broadcaster will instead air an old Eurovision-themed episode of Father Ted, while broadcasters of other boycotting countries were also refusing to air the contest. Here’s the latest update on the 2026 Eurovision boycott.

Which countries are boycotting Eurovision?

In December last year the EBU conducted a vote that gave Israel the green light to compete in this year’s Eurovision, which begins in Vienna, Austria, tonight.

However soon after, Ireland, Spain Slovenia and the Netherlands confirmed they would boycott the event on account of Israel’s inclusion.

As the deadline for participation in the contest counted down, Iceland also confirmed last minute it was also pulling out.

Why are they boycotting?

Even before the EBU vote, RTÉ announced its plans for a boycott, saying it would not take part ‘if the participation of Israel goes ahead’.

In a statement, the broadcaster said it would be ‘unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza’.

‘It is RTÉ’s position that Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, if the participation of Israel goes ahead, and the final decision regarding Ireland’s participation will be made once the EBU’s decision is made,’ its statement continued.

‘RTÉ is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages.’

In May, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had also called on Israel to withdraw, saying it should be held to the same standards over the war in Gaza as Russia has been over the invasion of Ukraine. Within days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it was banned from Eurovision.

In December Spain – one of the contest’s so-called ‘Big Five’ as it is one of the largest financial contributors to the EBU – announced it was boycotting.

A few months earlier Spanish broadcaster RTVE held a vote in which its board members approved a boycott if Israel was allowed to participate, which happened on the same day as a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

Explaining the decision, RTVE’s president José Pablo López, said the broadcasters who fund the EBU and thus Eurovision ‘shared a collective responsibility’.

‘While Israel has regularly participated in the competition, the current events and the genocide currently taking place make it impossible for us to look the other way,’ he said.

‘It is not accurate to claim that Eurovision is merely an apolitical music festival. We are all aware that the contest carries significant political implications. The Israeli government is equally aware of this fact and leverages the event on the international stage.’

Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV also issued a statement saying it would boycott ‘on behalf of the 20,000 children and 250 journalists who died in Gaza’.

‘We are a public broadcaster, and we must uphold high ethical values. We made our decision out of respect for the people of Gaza. History will prove we stood on the right side, we believe that,’ RTV board chair Natalija Gorscak said.

When announcing its plans to boycott in September, Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros said it could no longer justify Israel’s inclusion ‘given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza’ and the ‘serious erosion of press freedom’.

‘Human suffering, the suppression of press freedom and political interference are at odds with the values of public broadcasting,’ it added.

Meanwhile Iceland’s broadcaster RUV said the following when announcing it would also not be participating this year: ‘It is clear from the public debate in this country and the reaction to the EBU’s decision last week that there will be neither joy nor peace regarding RUV’s participation.’

Although these five countries have boycotted Eurovision, Germany previously said it would pull out of the event if Israel was barred, while this year’s host country Austria have also supported its ongoing inclusion.

Meanwhile a BBC spokesperson previously said of the EBU vote: ‘We support the collective decision made by members of the EBU. This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive.’

What do they plan to show instead?

Since announcing their boycotts, three countries that have bowed out of Eurovision this year have also confirmed they won’t be broadcasting the contest at all.

On Thursday, instead of showing the Second Semi-Final, RTÉ showed a special episode of the travel show The End of the World with Beanz featuring former Eurovision champion Niamh Kavanagh.

In place of Saturday’s live final, it will also air a 1996 episode of Father Ted centred around the Eurovision Song Contest.

Meanwhile, RTV Slovenia director Ksenija Horvat told The Associated Press: ‘We will not be broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest. We will be airing the film series Voices of Palestine, featuring Palestinian documentaries and feature films.’

Spain’s RTVE will run its own musical special, titled The House of Music.

Despite not taking part, the Netherlands and Iceland will still air Eurovision 2026.

Aside from the five public broadcasters around Europe boycotting the contest, in recent weeks an open letter that was signed by over 1000 musicians including Kneecap, Massive Attack and Paloma Faith also called for fans to boycott.

‘As musicians and cultural workers, many living within the reaches of the [EBU], we reject Eurovision being used to whitewash and normalise Israel’s genocide, siege and brutal military occupation against Palestinians,’ the letter, organised by No Music for Genocide and the BDS movement, said.

‘We stand in solidarity with Palestinian calls for public broadcasters, performers, screening party organisers, crew, and fans to boycott Eurovision until the EBU bans complicit Israeli broadcaster KAN.’

Last year the winner of 2024’s contest, Switzerland’s Nemo, pledged to return the trophy in protest over Israel’s continued participation. This action was followed by Irish artist Charlie McGettigan, who won in 1994.

Following the EBU’s vote in December, Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcome the news of his country’s ongoing participation, posting on social media: ‘Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world, a cause to which I am fully and actively committed.’

Meanwhile Eurovision director Martin Green has said in respect to the five boycotting countries: ‘All of us here respect their position and decision. We will continue to work with them as friends and colleagues in the hope they return to the contest soon.’

Although three countries will be returning to Eurovision in 2026 – Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania – the 35 entrants mark the lowest number since 2004.

The Eurovision final will air at 8pm tonight on BBC One

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