Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain have announced they will not broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest this week, boycotting the event over Israel's participation amid the war in Gaza. The first semi-final takes place on Tuesday in Vienna, with 35 countries participating—the fewest since 2004.
Five countries—Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain—are boycotting the contest. However, broadcasters in Iceland and the Netherlands will still screen the competition, despite both pulling out of the 2026 event.
RTÉ, Ireland's public broadcaster, will replace the semi-finals with alternative programming, including Home of the Year Scotland and Father Ted. On Saturday's grand final, RTÉ One will air Mummies and That They May Face the Rising Sun, while RTÉ2 repeats the Father Ted Eurovision episode.
Slovenian broadcaster RTV stated it would air a thematic series titled Voices of Palestine instead of the contest. Spain's RTVE will broadcast its own musical special, The House of Music.
Eurovision organisers issued a formal warning to Israeli broadcaster KAN after promotional videos encouraged viewers to "vote 10 times" for Israel's entry, raising suspicions of televote manipulation. Concerns about media freedom were also raised, as Israel has prevented journalists from accessing Gaza.
Amnesty International criticised the European Broadcasting Union for not suspending Israel, calling it "an act of cowardice and an illustration of blatant double standards." The organisation said Israel's participation offers a platform to normalise its actions in Gaza, which a UN-backed probe determined constitutes genocide—a claim Israel denies.
