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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Philipp Jenne

Eurovision song competition starts with the first semifinal after boycott over Israel

APTOPIX Austria Eurovision Song Contest - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Competition starts Tuesday at the Eurovision Song Contest, with divisions over Israel's participation hanging over the 70th birthday of the over-the-top pop music extravaganza.

Host city Vienna has been bedecked in hearts and the contest’s “United by Music” motto for a week in which singers and bands from 35 countries will compete onstage for the continent’s musical crown. But five countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland — are boycotting to protest Israel's inclusion.

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