Spain to quit Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates
One of Eurovision’s ‘Big Five’ announces it will boycott contest if Israel competes
- Spain has announced it will withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates, following a vote by its state broadcaster RTVE's board.
- This makes Spain the first of the 'Big Five' countries, which automatically qualify for the final, to take such a stance.
- A growing number of nations, including the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland, are pressuring organisers to exclude Israel amid the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
- Former participants have also called for a boycott, and the decision to allow Israel to compete has been contrasted with the ban on Russian entries in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine.
- BBC director general Tim Davie said that Eurovision has “never been about politics” and should remain a celebration of music.