AP, MADRID
No special menu, no themed decorations and no shared suspense over which musician’s flamboyant performance proves victorious.For the first time in seven years, Silvia Diaz did not get together with friends to watch the Eurovision Song Contest finals yesterday. Their host called off their annual gathering after Spain’s public broadcaster withdrew from the festival, protesting Israel’s participation. Diaz had said she would watch on YouTube, but only if she had no other plans.
People wave Palestinian flags during a pro-Palestinian demonstration under the motto “Song Protest Vienna 2026 — No Stage for Genocide” against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, in front of the Maria Theresa Monument in Vienna on Friday.
“It’s not the same watching it alone at home as it is with friends. That’s the only thing that upsets me,” she said.The five-day song competition drew 166 million viewers last year — considerably more than Super Bowl viewership in the US. Spain has not won since 1969; nevertheless, friends and families usually watch the final at home and bars, and their contestant’s performance dominates the day-after headlines. Spaniards at the event wave the country’s flag, wear red clothing or don the occasional bullfighter costume.
