Millions of fans across Europe (and Australia) will be tuning in to see if their nation’s act can bring home the Eurovision trophy this month – but five countries will be noticeably absent from this year’s song contest.
Amid a continued furore over the decision to allow Israel to compete, a number of countries – including one of the “Big Five” – have announced that they will not be taking part.
The event’s organisers, the Eurovision Broadcasting Union (EBU), came under pressure to ban Israel from entering the competition in both 2024 and 2025 amid the war in Gaza. Both contests went ahead as planned but not without controversy.
Performers at each contest, including the UK’s 2025 entrant Olly Alexander, found themselves under pressure to pull out, while viewing figures have continued to dip as many longtime fans have boycotted the event.
Last year Austria won the contest and is therefore on hosting duties this year,. However, Israel’s entry Yuval Raphael came out on top in the public vote – a result that later came under scrutiny amid reports that an Israeli government agency paid for an online campaign to promote the act.
So what’s going on this year? Here are the countries whose broadcasters have withdrawn, and their explanations for doing so…
Spain
As one of the ‘Big 5’ nations whose broadcaster makes one of the biggest financial contributions to Eurovision, Spain is always guaranteed a place in the final. But back in September last year, its state broadcaster RTVE’s board voted to withdraw from the competition if Israel was allowed to take part.
Its president José Pablo López, said: “As joint organisers of the Eurovision song contest, we share a collective responsibility. While Israel has regularly participated in the competition, the current events and the genocide currently taking place make it impossible for us to look the other way.
“It is not accurate to claim that Eurovision is merely an apolitical music festival. We are all aware that the contest carries significant political implications. The Israeli government is equally aware of this fact and leverages the event on the international stage.”
Israel has consistently denied that it is committing genocide in Gaza. A UN probe in September 2025 found that Israel had “flagrantly disregarded” international law and “orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now”.
Iceland
The EBU set a December 2025 deadline for broadcasters to decide whether they would like to take part or not and Iceland’s RÚV was the last to withdraw.
It said in a statement at the time: “Participation of Israeli national broadcaster, Kan, in the contest has created disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public.”
“RÚV has repeatedly raised concerns that various Icelandic stakeholders, such as artist associations and the general public, were opposed to participation in the contest.”
Alluding to the fact Russia was banned from Eurovision after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the statement continued: “Furthermore, RÚV had requested the EBU to exclude KAN from the contest in accordance to precedents.
“It is a complex matter, which has already damaged the contest's reputation and EBU, emphasising the necessity of a solution for all concerned parties.”
Ireland
Irish broadcaster RTE announced in September last year that it would not take part if Israel was allowed to send an act, a decision that was praised by the Taoiseach.
Its statement said: “RTE feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.
“RTE is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages.”
Israel has denied targeting journalists in Gaza.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin described the decision as “an act of solidarity”, adding: “I think our focus has to be on peace and how now can we contribute to the bedding down of the ceasefire and how we, as a country, and Ireland is up to contributing to the peace process, and we work with other like-minded countries in that respect.”
The Netherlands
The Netherlands’ broadcaster AVROTROS also joined the growing list of those stating their intention to boycott in September last year.
It cited "the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza” in its statement and expressed "deep concern about the serious erosion of press freedom: the deliberate exclusion of independent international reporting and the many casualties among journalists”.
Israel has restricted foreign journalists’ access to Gaza and has only allowed them to enter the enclave on a handful of occasions, and while on attachments with the Israeli Defence Force.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) estimated in April that at least 235 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7 2023, when Hamas’s attack in southern Israel sparked the ongoing conflict. It has published a list of the journalists who have been killed.
Slovenia
Slovenia’s national broadcaster has not only pulled out of Eurovision but is also refusing to air the contest.
RTV Slovenia director Ksenija Horvat told The Associated Press last month: "We will not be broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest. We will be airing the film series Voices of Palestine, featuring Palestinian documentaries and feature films."
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