Over a thousand musicians and industry figures have signed an open letter calling for a boycott of Eurovision 2026 over Israel's participation. Among the signatories are Massive Attack, Kneecap, Brian Eno, Sigur Rós, Nadine Shah, Mogwai, Hot Chip, as well as Paul Weller and Paloma Faith.
The initiative is reported by The Independent.
The letter, organized by the No Music for Genocide campaign and the BDS movement (Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel), calls on fans and industry representatives to boycott the contest unless the European Broadcasting Union suspends Israeli broadcaster KAN from participating.
The signatories also say they refuse to be “complicit” in what they call “the genocide, siege and brutal military occupation of the Palestinians.”
The organizers welcomed the decision of five countries — Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands — to withdraw from this year's contest in protest against Israel's participation, as well as “the many finalists of the national selections who have pledged to forgo their trip to Eurovision.”
“While many of us in the industry take Eurovision lightly or doubt our own power as cultural producers, the leaders of genocidal Israel speak openly about the geopolitical value of the contest,” the statement said.
The signatories also point out that Israel is participating in the competition for the third consecutive year, while Russia remains suspended after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This, in their opinion, indicates double standards.
In addition to signing the letter, over a thousand artists and labels have removed their music from streaming platforms in Israel.
How does the EMC respond?
For its part, the European Broadcasting Union has consistently defended the decision to allow Israel to participate.
A statement released after the general meeting on 5 December 2025 stated that a “vast majority” of members agreed that there was no need for an additional vote on participation, and that Eurovision 2026 should take place as planned, with additional precautions in place.
In particular, viewers will now be able to cast no more than 10 votes. This step was taken due to suspicions that the Israeli authorities were encouraging the diaspora to vote en masse in order to change the results of the competition.
What is known about Eurovision 2026?
Eurovision is the world's biggest music event. Last year's contest in Basel attracted 166 million viewers, more than the Super Bowl and Grammy Awards combined.
70th Anniversary Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Vienna, following JJ's victory last year with the song Wasted Love.
The grand final is scheduled for May 16, 2026 , with the semi-final shows on May 12 and 14. The show will take place at Austria's largest indoor arena, the Wiener Stadthalle.
35 countries will participate in the contest, of which 30 will compete in the semi-finals. According to the results of the draw, Ukraine will perform in the second semi-final. Our country will be represented by the singer Leléka with the song Ridnym – she received the maximum 10 points from the audience and the jury. She will perform in the second semi-final at number 12.
Up to 20 semi-final winners will advance to the final. In addition, the “Big Five” countries (Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy) will automatically advance to the final, with the exception of Spain , which declined to participate for the first time in the history of the contest, and last year's winner Austria.