Iceland becomes fifth country to boycott Eurovision

2025-12-10 18:42:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Iceland has joined Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in saying it will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.

All five countries have withdrawn after Israel's participation in the contest was officially confirmed last week.

"The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) has decided not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, next year," it said in a statement after a RÚV board meeting on Wednesday.

"The participation of the Israeli national broadcaster, KAN, in the contest has created divisions among members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public."

The board meeting came hours before the deadline for countries to confirm whether they will join what is supposed to be a celebratory 70th anniversary edition of the song contest next May.

Iceland was believed to be the last remaining country to announce its decision.

Israel's presence at Eurovision has been a source of growing tension, due to the war in Gaza and concerns about the voting and campaign processes, including allegations that the Israeli government attempted to influence the public's vote at this year's event.

A series of new measures designed to protect the integrity of the vote were approved at an EBU summit last week, after which most countries confirmed they would travel to Vienna for the 2026 contest.

The Icelandic broadcaster said that while the new measures addressed many of his concerns, he believes there are still doubts about whether the agreed arrangements would be fully satisfactory.

RÚV has repeatedly raised concerns that various Icelandic stakeholders, such as artists' associations and the general public, were against participating in the competition.

"Furthermore, RÚV had asked the EBU to exclude KAN from the competition in accordance with precedents."

"It is a complex issue that has already damaged the reputation of the contest and the EBU, highlighting the necessity of a solution for all stakeholders."

Public opinion in Iceland and the reaction to last week's EBU summit mean that the country's participation in Eurovision 2026 "will be neither a source of joy nor peace," she said.

"Therefore, RÚV has come to the conclusion to inform the EBU today that RÚV will not participate in next year's Eurovision contest."

The Icelandic broadcaster's board had previously approved a recommendation to ask the EBU to exclude Israel from Eurovision 2026.

Iceland was reportedly among seven countries that requested a vote at the EBU general meeting last week on Israel's participation.

This request was rejected, and Israel's future participation was instead effectively tied to a vote on new voting and campaign rules.

"Cultural boycott"

According to a transcript of Thursday's meeting provided by KAN, the broadcaster's executive director, Golan Yochpaz, criticized those trying to exclude Israel.

"The attempt to remove KAN from the competition can only be understood as a cultural boycott. A boycott may start today with Israel, but no one knows where it will end or who else it might harm," he said.

Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973 because KAN, its public broadcaster, is a member of the EBU, which organizes the contest.

Israel has won four times, most recently in 2018, and came second in the 2025 competition.

Iceland has never won, but came second in 1999 and 2009./CNA