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2026 Eurovision to Include 35 Countries, Fewer Than Recent Years
Geopolitical tensions have led to boycotts of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, reducing participation to 35 countries, the smallest in recent years. Several nations and over 1,000 artists cite Israel's involvement amid the Gaza conflict. The event is set for May 16 in Vienna, with Austria dismissing boycott calls as pointless.
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More than 1,000 artists urged a boycott of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest this week, and several countries have announced they will not participate in protest over Israel's participation, @AFP reported. The contest, marking its 70th anniversary edition, will feature only 35 countries on May 16 in Vienna, the smallest edition in recent years.
Five broadcasters, including Spain, are expected to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel's participation. Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia have decided not to participate for the same reason. Spain is one of the Big Five largest financial contributors to Eurovision with automatic qualification to the Grand Final.
More than 1,000 musicians around the world have signed a petition to exclude Israel's public broadcaster KAN from Eurovision under the banner of no music for genocide. The petition signatories include Massive Attack, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters and Sigur Ros.
The European Broadcasting Union has defended Israel's public broadcaster KAN in the past, arguing that it meets all criteria for independence.
The European Broadcasting Union has announced changes and safeguards to the public voting system following accusations of manipulation in favour of the Israeli candidate in 2025. The Eurovision Song Contest claimed 166 million viewers in 2025. The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon featured artists from 43 countries.
Sanctioning Russia created a precedent and sparked a debate on geopolitical tensions in Eurovision, said Christina Oberg, a professor at Linnaeus University in Sweden. Some are asking why Israel has not been excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest like Russia due to the massive civilian death toll from Israel's two-year bombardment of Gaza, Oberg said.
