Iceland Joins Eurovision Boycott as Fifth Country

Iceland has joined Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands in announcing a boycott of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, citing concerns over Israel’s participation.

The Icelandic national broadcaster, RÚV, confirmed its withdrawal on Thursday, following a board meeting held just hours before the deadline for countries to commit to the competition. This decision comes after Israel’s participation was officially confirmed last week.

Stefan Eiriksson, RÚV’s director-general, explained the rationale behind the boycott. “There is no peace or joy connected to this contest as things stand now,” he stated. “On that basis, first and foremost, we are stepping back while the situation is as it is.”

RÚV further elaborated that Israel’s inclusion had “created disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public.”

The move follows growing tensions surrounding the contest, fuelled by the ongoing war in Gaza and accusations that Israel attempted to influence the public vote at the 2025 event. Israel’s Yuval Raphael topped the public vote at Eurovision 2025, ultimately finishing second overall after jury scores were tallied.

Despite a new set of measures approved by the EBU aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the voting process, Iceland’s broadcaster remained unconvinced. “RÚV believes that there are still doubts whether the agreed adjustments would be fully satisfactory,” a statement read.

The broadcaster had previously sought a ban on Israel’s participation and was among seven nations that requested a vote on the matter at the EBU general meeting. That request was denied, with Israel’s continued involvement linked to the outcome of the voting and campaigning rule ballot.

Golan Yochpaz, chief executive of Israel’s KAN broadcaster, criticised the boycotts, calling them a “cultural boycott.” According to a transcript of Thursday’s meeting, Yochpaz questioned, “Is this what we truly want this contest to be remembered for on its 70th anniversary?”

Meanwhile, Poland has confirmed its participation, stating, “We are aware of the scale of tensions… However, we believe that Eurovision still has a chance to once again become a space filled with music – and only music.”

The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held in Vienna, Austria, after the country’s singer, JJ, emerged victorious this year.

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