The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced it will convene an online meeting in November to vote on whether Israeli broadcaster Kan should be permitted to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. The move follows mounting pressure from several European broadcasters who have threatened to boycott the event should Israel remain involved.
In a letter circulated to member broadcasters on Thursday, EBU President Delphine Ernotte Cunci acknowledged the “unprecedented diversity of views” surrounding Israel’s continued participation. She stated that the matter required “a broader democratic basis” and would be put to a vote by the general assembly.
A formal statement from the EBU confirmed the development: “We can confirm that a letter has been sent from the executive board of the European Broadcasting Union to directors general of all our members informing them that a vote on participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place at an extraordinary meeting of the EBU’s general assembly to be held online in early November.”
The decision comes in response to growing dissent among broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia, who have expressed their intention to withdraw from the contest should Israel be allowed to compete. The boycott threats have intensified following recent editions of the contest, which were overshadowed by pro-Palestinian demonstrations outside the venues.
Israel, which made its Eurovision debut in 1973 and has won the competition four times, has continued to participate despite ongoing controversy. In contrast, Russia was banned from the contest in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The 2024 contest in Malmö, Sweden, and the 2025 edition in Basel, Switzerland, both witnessed significant protests, with demonstrators calling for Israel’s exclusion in light of its actions in Gaza and the West Bank. The EBU has thus far resisted calls to suspend Israel, citing its commitment to maintaining the contest as a non-political cultural event.
Next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, marking the 70th anniversary of the event, is scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, in May. The hosting broadcaster, ORF, has expressed confidence that the show will proceed regardless of the outcome of the vote or any resulting boycotts.
“The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna in 2026,” an ORF spokesperson said earlier this week. “The event will take place irrespective of the number of participating broadcasters.”
The upcoming vote is expected to be closely watched, with implications not only for Israel’s future in the contest but also for the EBU’s ability to navigate political sensitivities while preserving the integrity of the event. The outcome may set a precedent for how the organisation handles similar disputes in future editions.
The EBU has not indicated whether the result of the November vote will be made public immediately, nor has it commented on the potential impact on Kan’s preparations for the 2026 contest. Kan has yet to issue a formal response to the announcement.
