As the Eurovision Song Contest marks its 70th anniversary with the first semi-final in Vienna on Tuesday evening, Europe’s biggest live television music event is unfolding under the shadow of an unprecedented political boycott over Israel’s war in Gaza.
Five countries – Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland – have withdrawn from this year’s competition in protest at Israel’s participation, making it the biggest political rupture in Eurovision’s history.
Public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and Slovenia have also refused to air the contest this week.
Slovenia’s RTV said it would instead broadcast a themed series called Voices of Palestine, while Ireland’s RTE will show a Eurovision-themed episode of the sitcom Father Ted during Saturday’s final. Spain’s RTVE has opted for its own musical special, The House of Music.
Eurovision director Martin Green said organisers would do “anything in our power to find a pathway back” for the absent broadcasters and countries.
The withdrawals leave only 35 nations competing this year – the smallest field since Eurovision expanded in 2004. Austria is hosting after operatic singer JJ won the 2025 contest in Basel with Wasted Love.
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Boycott overshadows contest
The backlash has centred on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, with critics arguing the country should not be allowed to compete.
Several broadcasters have also questioned whether the televoting system was manipulated last year in ways that benefited Israel.
Concerns were additionally raised over media freedom, with journalists facing restrictions on access to Gaza.
Green defended Eurovision’s voting system at a press conference on Monday, saying organisers had reintroduced professional juries to the semi-finals for the first time since 2022 in an effort to reassure broadcasters.
“We have one of the safest, most secure and fair voting systems,” he said.
Amnesty International accused the European Broadcasting Union of failing to act over Israel’s participation.
Its secretary general, Agnes Callamard, said Eurovision was giving Israel “a platform to try to deflect attention from and normalise its ongoing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip”.
Adding to the pressure on organisers, EBU lawyers reportedly concluded last year that Israeli broadcaster KAN could legally be suspended from the union if union members decided to pursue disciplinary action, while Belgian broadcaster VRT accused the EBU of “hiding behind rules” instead of addressing human rights concerns.
A United Nations-backed probe last year concluded that “genocide is occurring in Gaza”, a charge Israel strongly denies.
Israeli diaspora affairs minister Amichai Chikli condemned boycott calls and criticism surrounding the contest, accusing European governments and public bodies of hypocrisy and weakness.
Pro-Palestinian activists are also planning demonstrations in Vienna this week, including a protest involving symbolic coffins in the city centre on Tuesday.
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Sequins and spectacle remain
Despite the political tensions, Eurovision’s trademark extravagance remains firmly intact.
Fifteen acts will compete in Tuesday’s semi-final at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle, with 10 progressing to Saturday’s grand final. Sweden, Greece, Croatia, Finland and Israel are among the favourites to qualify.
Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen are among the bookmakers’ leading contenders with Liekinheitin – or “Flamethrower” – a dramatic performance blending pop and violin theatrics.
Israel’s Noam Bettan will perform Michelle, sung in Hebrew, French and English.
This year’s organisers have drawn inspiration from Vienna’s famous coffee house culture, with executive producer Michael Kroen saying the aim was to celebrate both the city’s artistic history and a “modern Vienna”.
(with newswires)
