The Eurovision Song Contest, long celebrated as Europe’s glittering festival of pop and unity, is facing one of its most divisive crises in decades as calls to boycott the 2026 competition intensify over Israel’s participation. On September 12, 2025, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced it would not send an entry to next year’s contest in Vienna if Israel is allowed to compete, citing what it described as “ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza.” The decision from the Netherlands marks a significant escalation in a growing movement among European nations, broadcasters, and cultural figures to pressure Eurovision’s organizers to exclude Israel amid the continued war in Gaza.
AVROTROS, one of the public broadcasters that collectively fund and air Eurovision, released a pointed statement outlining its position. The broadcaster said, “Given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza,” it could not justify participation if Israel remains in the competition. The statement went further, expressing “deep concern about the serious erosion of press freedom: the deliberate exclusion of independent international reporting and the many casualties among journalists.” According to BBC, this concern reflects widespread unease about the dangers faced by journalists covering the conflict and the restrictions placed on media access in the region.
The Netherlands is not alone in raising the stakes over Israel’s involvement. Irish broadcaster RTÉ was the first to declare it would not participate in Eurovision 2026 if Israel competes, citing “the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” the killing of journalists, and restrictions on media access. Slovenia’s RTVSLO soon followed, notifying the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that it would also refuse to participate under current circumstances. Iceland’s RÚV has signaled that its involvement is “uncertain,” pending a decision by the EBU General Assembly, which has now pushed the deadline for final participation confirmations to mid-December 2025 (Variety).
Political leaders are echoing these calls. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun have both publicly urged Spain’s RTVE to pull out of the contest if Israel is included, with Sánchez stating after the last competition in May that Israel should be excluded in the future. The mounting pressure is not limited to broadcasters and politicians: the arts world has also mobilized. Earlier in September, Hollywood stars including Emma Stone, Ayo Edebiri, Ava DuVernay, Olivia Colman, Yorgos Lanthimos, Riz Ahmed, Rob Delaney, Javier Bardem, and Tilda Swinton joined 3,000 other industry figures in signing a pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,” according to the group Film Workers for Palestine.
This campaign to ostracize Israel from cultural events is not without precedent. Russia, for example, was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022—a decision that set a significant precedent for the contest’s organizers. Yet, despite heated disputes and protests, Israel has continued to compete over the past two years. The EBU, which runs Eurovision, has so far resisted calls for Israel’s exclusion, stating that participation is open to all active member broadcasters and that it respects the autonomy of each member to decide whether to take part. Martin Green, director of Eurovision, said, “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest, and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.” (Al Jazeera).
The 2025 contest, held in Basel, Switzerland, was watched by 166 million people and took place amid pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests—though these demonstrations were smaller than those seen at the 2024 event in Malmö, Sweden, where thousands rallied against Israel’s participation. During the Basel contest, Israeli singer Yuval Raphael, performing the song “New Day Will Rise,” finished second to Austria’s JJ. Raphael’s performance was met with visible protest: Palestinian flags were waved behind him during the opening ceremony, and protestors attempted to disrupt the event. Both years, Israel’s delegations required heavy protection by Israeli and local forces due to security threats linked to the war in Gaza (The Times of Israel).
AVROTROS’s decision was also influenced by what it described as “proven interference… during the last edition of the Song Contest, with the event being used as a political instrument.” The broadcaster’s statement underscored the complexity of Eurovision’s mission to remain apolitical while providing a stage for countries with deeply divisive conflicts. The EBU has acknowledged this challenge and stated in July that it was launching a consultation with all members on how to “manage participation and geopolitical tensions” around the contest.
The growing list of countries threatening to withdraw has the potential to dramatically diminish Eurovision’s cultural and commercial impact. As Variety notes, if multiple broadcasters follow through on their boycott threats, the contest—Europe’s most-watched entertainment show—could lose much of its diversity and appeal. The 2026 edition is scheduled for May in Vienna, with semi-finals on May 12 and 14 and the grand finale on May 16. The Dutch broadcaster has stated it will continue preparing for the contest until a final decision on Israel’s inclusion is made.
Dozens of former Eurovision participants, including 2024 winner Nemo of Switzerland, have joined calls for Israel’s exclusion, citing its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza. Meanwhile, the EBU faces mounting pressure to balance its open membership policy with calls from broadcasters and the public to uphold principles of human rights and press freedom. This standoff threatens to splinter the contest from within, pitting member broadcasters against each other in a way not seen in Eurovision’s modern history.
For now, the future of Eurovision 2026 hangs in the balance. The EBU’s mid-December deadline for participation decisions is fast approaching, and the organization’s response will likely shape not only the next contest but also the broader role of cultural events in addressing—or sidestepping—political and humanitarian crises. As the world watches, Eurovision’s organizers and participants are being forced to confront the uncomfortable reality that even a celebration of music and unity cannot remain untouched by the gravity of global conflict.
Whatever decision is made, Eurovision 2026 will be remembered as a contest where the music was inextricably linked to the world’s most urgent questions about war, justice, and solidarity.