Three countries on Thursday pulled out of the Eurovision Song Contest after organisers opted not to vote on Israel’s future participation, allowing it to take part in next year’s event.
Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands all announced they were boycotting Eurovision — the world’s largest live music competition — over the decision. Iceland said it was considering its position.
Widespread opposition to the war in Gaza had led to mounting calls for Israel to be excluded from the annual contest. There were suspicions, too, about the manipulation of the voting system to favour Israel at last year’s event.
But the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said after a meeting in Geneva that there had been “clear support” among members for reforms implemented to “reinforce trust and protect neutrality”.
“A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place,” a statement read.
Moments after the release of the EBU statement, public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands — who had all backed Israel’s exclusion — said their countries would not take part next year.
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