DUBLIN, IRELAND—The political reverberations of the conflict in the Middle East have crashed onto the stage of Europe’s premier music event, as Ireland announced it is withdrawing from the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, leading a growing coalition of countries boycotting the event over the decision to allow Israel to compete.
Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ, confirmed its withdrawal late Thursday, stating that the decision was made “in solidarity with the people of Palestine” and citing the “stark double standard” demonstrated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The move has been swiftly followed by similar announcements from the public broadcasters of Norway, Finland, and Iceland.
The Boycott and the ‘Double Standard’
The heart of the controversy is the EBU’s decision to allow Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, to participate in the contest, despite significant domestic and international pressure for its exclusion following the devastating military offensive in Gaza.
- Ireland’s Stance: RTÉ stated that while the contest should ideally be apolitical, the EBU has demonstrated a clear political bias. “The EBU has previously suspended Russia from the contest due to its actions in Ukraine. To allow Israel to compete while the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues highlights a painful double standard that our public service values cannot abide by,” an RTÉ spokesperson said.
- The Nordic Front: The Irish withdrawal was quickly backed by Nordic broadcasters. Finland’s YLE announced its withdrawal hours later, citing an internal poll that showed 78% of Finnish citizens supported a boycott. Norway’s NRK and Iceland’s RÚV followed suit, turning the boycott into a significant political front.
- Artist Pressure: In all four countries, the decision was preceded by intense pressure from the domestic music community, with dozens of artists who were expected to compete in national selection rounds withdrawing their names in protest.
EBU Holds Firm
The European Broadcasting Union, the alliance of public service media organizations that organizes the contest, has repeatedly and firmly rejected calls to exclude Israel, maintaining that the contest is a competition between public service broadcasters, not governments.
In its most recent statement, the EBU said: “We understand the concerns, but the Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political music event. KAN [Israel’s broadcaster] fully adheres to all competition rules, and Israel’s participation is consistent with the EBU’s guidelines.”
However, critics argue this position is undermined by the EBU’s own actions in 2022, when it banned Russia immediately following its invasion of Ukraine, citing the need to protect the “reputation of the competition.”
Israel’s Response
Israel’s delegation has strongly criticized the boycotting countries, calling the move “disappointing and entirely misguided.”
“This is not a political contest; it is a celebration of music,” stated an official from KAN. “Singling out Israel for exclusion is discriminatory and plays into hands of those who seek to use cultural platforms to advance harmful political agendas.”
The withdrawals of four major participating countries—with calls for others, including Belgium and Spain, to follow—cast a major shadow over the event, which is scheduled to take place in Stockholm, Sweden, next May. The Eurovision Song Contest, meant to unify Europe through music, is instead finding itself profoundly fractured by geopolitics.