Ireland announces that it will boycotte Eurovision if there will be Israel

At the 2026 edition, which will take place in Vienna, Austria, from 12 to 16 May, eight months left, but the climate around the Eurovision Song Contest is already heating. Ireland, which together with Sweden is the country with the greatest number of victories at the event, 7 in all, has announced that the event will boycotted if the participation of Israel should be confirmed.

The Irish television broadcaster RTé issued today, 11 September, a declaration in which it states that during the general assembly of the European Union of RadioDiffusion Ebu held in July, “several members of the ABO expressed concern about Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest”. He added that “Rté’s position is that Ireland will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest of 2026, if Israel’s participation is confirmed, and the final decision on the participation of Ireland will be made once the decision of the ABO has been made”.

The issuer then made it known: “Rté believes that the participation of Ireland would be unacceptable, given the continuous and frightening loss of human lives in Gaza. Rté is also deeply worried about the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, for the refusal of access to the territory to international journalists and for the difficult situation of the remaining hostages”.

To ask for the exclusion of Israel from the competition had already been the winner of the Eurovision 2025, JJ in May: “It is very disappointing to see Israel still participate in the competition. I would like the Eurovision to be held in Vienna next year, without Israel. But the ball is in the field of the Ebu. We artists can only express ourselves on the matter”.