Several Nations Announce Eurovision Boycott After โฃisrael’s 2026 Participation Confirmed
Geneva, Switzerland – Decemberโ 5, 2024, 12:24 AM CET โ – Following confirmation โthat Israel will be permitted toโ compete in the 2026 Eurovision โSongโข Contest, broadcasters inโ Iceland,โข Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway haveโ announced their โคintention โฃto boycott the event. The decisions,โค revealed late Tuesday, escalate mountingโข pressure onโ the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) regarding Israel’s inclusion โamidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The controversy centers on calls for โIsrael’s exclusion, mirroring previous actions takenโ against Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraineโข and Belarus after the 2020โ contested presidential election. While โthe EBU maintains that Eurovision โis a non-political โขevent, critics argue that allowing Israel’s participation effectively normalizes the situation inโ Gaza and disregards international humanitarian โconcerns. The boycottsโข threaten to โฃsubstantially โdisrupt the competition, traditionally the world’s largest live music event, and raiseโข fundamental questions about theโค EBU’s neutrality.
Delphine Ernotte Cunci, president of the EBU and France Tรฉlรฉvisions,โ recently affirmed the โฃorganization’s “shared commitmentโฆto protect โฃopenness and trust โคinโ theโ Eurovision Song Contest.” โHowever, this statement has done littleโ to quell the growing discontent among participating nations. The Icelandic broadcaster, RรV, was the first toโฃ publicly declare โits withdrawal,โฃ citing widespread โpublic oppositionโ and ethicalโ considerations. Similar โstatements quickly followed from broadcasters in Finland (Yle),โ Denmark (DR), Sweden (SVT), and Norwayโ (NRK).
Theโข EBU has โฃyet to issue aโ formalโค response to the announced boycotts, โbut is expected to address theโ situation inโ the coming days. The futureโ of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest,โ scheduled to be hosted โคin Switzerland following Nemo’s 2024 win, now hangs in the balance as more nations perhaps consider joining the boycott.