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Iceland’s national broadcaster voted Wednesday not to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, joining Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in a growing boycott over the inclusion of Israel.
“The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) has decided not to participate in the Eurovision song contest in Vienna, Austria, next year,” the board said in a statement after the meeting. “Participation of Israeli national broadcaster, KAN, in the contest has created disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public.”
Israel’s participation in the annual competition caused a rift this year, both because of the war in Gaza and because of allegations that the Israeli government tried to rig the vote in its favor last year.
