Eurovision 2026 also leaves Iceland

Rùv, the Icelandic public radio and television service, has announced its withdrawal from the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest: the decision was taken by the network’s board of directors in protest against the European Broadcasting Union’s failure to exclude Israel from the competition. Iceland thus joins Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia in the list of countries in controversy with the organizers of the event.

“The participation of the Israeli public broadcaster KAN in the competition has recently caused disunity, both among the member broadcasters of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and among the public,” reads the official note released by Rùv: “KAN’s participation was the subject of in-depth discussion at EBU meetings earlier this year, first in London in the summer and then in Geneva last week. At the Geneva meeting, a large majority of EBU member broadcasters agreed that the various changes made to the rules and procedures of the competition were satisfactory and therefore no vote was held regarding KAN’s participation in the competition”.

“The Director General explained during the Geneva meeting that, although the changes responded to many of the concerns raised by RÚV representatives at various stages of cooperation with the EBU in recent years, there were still doubts, in the RÚV’s opinion, about their suitability,” the statement continues: “It had been repeatedly made clear that stakeholders in the country, such as artists’ associations and the Icelandic public, were against participation in the competition. The RÚV Board of Directors had also asked the EBU to exclude KAN from the competition, referring to precedents, was complex to resolve and had already damaged the reputation of the competition and of the EBU.

“Given the public debate in this country and the reactions to the EBU’s decision taken last week, it is clear that neither joy nor peace will prevail regarding RÚV’s participation in Eurovision,” concludes the Icelandic broadcaster: “Therefore, RÚV has decided to inform the EBU today that it will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest next year. The Song Contest and the Eurovision Song Contest have always had the aim of uniting the Icelandic nation, but now it is clear that this objective cannot be achieved and it is for these reasons related to the program that this decision is made. A decision has not yet been made regarding the possibility that the Söngvakeppnin (the national contest by which the artist to compete in Eurovision is designated) will be organized by the RÚV next year. The available options are being evaluated and a decision will be announced as soon as it is ready.