Sweden's national broadcaster SVT confirmed it will participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, even as four countries withdrew in protest over Israel's continued inclusion. The decision follows a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) vote on Thursday that approved new contest rules but declined to ban Israel, triggering immediate boycotts from Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia.
The EBU general assembly in Geneva introduced sweeping changes to address concerns about political interference. The new rules require governments to refrain from campaigns, reduce maximum votes per participant from 20 to 10, reintroduce professional jury panels in semi-finals, and strengthen technical security to prevent vote fraud.
Nordic Support
All Nordic public service broadcasters backed the reforms. SVT stated: «All Nordic public service companies, NRK in Norway, YLE in Finland, DR in Denmark and RUV in Iceland voted yes to the proposals, which were supported by a majority of EBU members.»
The Swedish broadcaster said the changes align with its conditions for participation. «This – combined with the result of the vote – is in line with the conditions that SVT has set for participating in Eurovision: A broad European support and a competition that is as apolitical as possible,» SVT stated.
Countries Pull Out
Ireland's broadcaster RTE announced it will not participate or broadcast the 2026 contest. «RTE feels that Ireland's participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk,» the broadcaster stated.
Slovenia's RTV cited «the 20,000 children who died in Gaza» as its reason for withdrawal. Board chairwoman Natalija Gorsck told EBU members before the decision: «Our journalists were not and still are not allowed to enter Gaza, where more than 200 journalists were killed.»
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros will not broadcast the competition, with chief executive Taco Zimmerman stating: «Universal values like humanity and a free press have been seriously violated and are non-negotiable for us.» However, the Dutch public broadcasting organisation NPO will ensure the contest remains available for Dutch viewers.
Spain's RTVE also withdrew, expressing «distrust in the organisation of the festival» and confirming «political pressures» around the decision.
Political Fallout
The boycotts follow controversy over Israel's second-place finish in the 2025 Eurovision, where Israeli singer Yuval Raphael received the largest number of public votes despite finishing as runner-up to Austria's JJ. Concerns about voting irregularities prompted the EBU's rule changes, which specifically aim to «discourage disproportionate promotion campaigns, particularly when undertaken or supported by third parties, including governments or governmental agencies.»
The BBC supported the EBU's decision, with a spokesperson stating: «We support the collective decision made by members of the EBU. This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive.»
Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X: «Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world, a cause to which I am fully and actively committed.»
Financial Impact
The withdrawals represent a significant financial blow to Eurovision. Spain is one of the "Big Five" countries that provide the largest financial contributions and receive automatic access to the final. The four boycotting countries represented just under 17% of last year's viewership, based on estimates of 19.2 million viewers in Spain, 7.5 million in the Netherlands, 740,000 in Slovenia, and 570,000 in Ireland.
Iceland's RUV broadcaster, which previously recommended barring Israel, will discuss potential withdrawal at a meeting Wednesday. The 2026 contest is scheduled for Vienna, with more than 32 countries currently confirmed to compete.
Russia was expelled from Eurovision in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine. The contest, founded in 1956, typically draws more than 150 million viewers worldwide.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
