Iceland to boycott 2026 Eurovision over Israel's participation, broadcaster RÚV says

Iceland has said it will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said Israel could participate in the event.

The announcement on Wednesday was made by Iceland's public broadcaster, RÚV.

"Given the public debate in this country and the reactions to the decision of the EBU that was taken last week it is clear that neither joy nor peace will prevail regarding the participation of RÚV in Eurovision. It is therefore the conclusion of RÚV to notify the EBU today that RÚV will not take part in Eurovision next year," the broadcaster said in a statement.

The press release, which was signed by RÚV director general Stefán Eiríksson, said the EBU's decision to allow Israeli public broadcaster KAN to take part had caused disunity.

The statement didn’t say whether the annual music programme Söngvakeppnin, which is used to select Iceland's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, would take place next year.

That programme, first broadcast in 1981, pre-dates Iceland's participation in Eurovision by five years.

Local media in Iceland said a crowd had gathered outside the RÚV headquarters in Reykjavík to show their support for the decision.

Other countries withdraw

The announcement from RÚV comes a week after four other countries announced they were pulling out of next year's Eurovision in protest against Israel’s participation.

Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland all said they wouldn’t participate after the EBU, the body that runs Eurovision, met to discuss concerns about Israel’s participation, which is opposed by some countries due to its conduct of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said that the participation of Israel "is no longer compatible with the responsibility we bear as a public broadcaster."

"Culture connects, but not at any cost. What happened last year touches our boundaries. Universal values ​​like humanity and a free press have been seriously violated and are non-negotiable for us...the independence and unifying nature of the Eurovision Song Contest can no longer be taken for granted," said AVROTROS Director General Taco Zimmerman.

Spain's state broadcaster RTVE said that the country is pulling out after the EBU voted to let Israel participate in 2026.

"We would like to express our serious doubts about the participation of Israeli broadcaster KAN in Eurovision 2026," said RTVE’s Secretary General Alfonso Morales during the EBU's general assembly.

The pullouts came after members of the EBU voted to adopt more rigid voting rules in response to allegations that Israel had manipulated the vote in favour of their contestant.

The feel-good pop music gala that draws more than 100 million viewers every year has been roiled by the Israel-Hamas war for the past two years.

The EBU, a group of public broadcasters from 56 countries that runs Eurovision, held its twice-yearly general assembly where some countries called for Israel to be excluded over alleged interference in voting and its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza.

"Eurovision is becoming a bit of a fractured event," said Paul Jordan, an expert on the contest known as Dr Eurovision.

"The slogan is 'United by Music'...unfortunately it's disunited through politics...It's become quite a messy and toxic situation," he said.