Iceland Joins Boycott Against Eurovision Over Israel's Participation

Thu Dec 11 2025 09:59:23 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant shift, Iceland has officially announced its decision to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, aligning with Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands in response to Israel's confirmed participation.

Iceland has become the fifth country to withdraw from the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. The Icelandic national broadcaster cites a lack of peace and unity connected to Israel's participation amid ongoing tensions in the region as the primary reason for the boycott. This decision has sparked discussions on the future of Eurovision as it prepares for its 70th anniversary edition in Vienna.

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All five countries have withdrawn after Israel's participation in the competition was officially confirmed last week.

Stefan Eiriksson, director-general of Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV, stated, There is no peace or joy connected to this contest as things stand now. On that basis, first and foremost, we are stepping back while the situation is as it is. RÚV indicated that Israel's involvement has caused disunity among both the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) members and the public.

The board's decision came shortly before the deadline for countries to confirm their participation in the anticipated 70th anniversary edition of Eurovision next May.

Iceland was the last country to announce its boycott among the five. Eurovision's director Martin Green stated, We respect the decision of all broadcasters who have chosen not to participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest and hope to welcome them back soon.

The ongoing tension regarding Israel's presence in Eurovision has escalated in light of the current conflicts in Gaza, raising concerns over the integrity of the contest's voting processes. A recent summit resulted in new measures to safeguard voting integrity, yet questions remain regarding their effectiveness. RÚV has previously requested the EBU to exclude Israeli broadcaster KAN from next year's contest.

Meanwhile, Poland announced its intention to participate in the Eurovision contest, emphasizing their belief in the event returning to its musical roots despite ongoing tensions.