RTÉ and other public service broadcasters in Slovenia and Spain will not show the Eurovision Song Contest this week as they boycott the event over Israel’s participation.
The world’s biggest live televised music event holds its first semi-final in the Austrian capital Vienna on Tuesday, bringing together participants from 35 countries – the fewest since entry was expanded in 2004.
Five countries – Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain – are boycotting the contest over Israel’s war in Gaza.
Public service broadcasters in Iceland and the Netherlands will screen the competition, despite both pulling out of the 2026 event.
The world’s biggest live televised music event holds its first semi-final in Vienna on Tuesday, bringing together participants from 35 countries – the fewest since entry was expanded in 2004
During Tuesday’s first semi-final, RTÉ2, which usually screens the semi-finals, will show Home of the Year Scotland, Father Ted, and The Light in the Hall.
During Thursday’s second semi-final, RTÉ2 will show Big Life Fix, Here We Go, and Ali’s Comeback.
During Saturday’s grand final, RTÉ One will show the animated family comedy Mummies and the acclaimed John McGahern adaptation That They May Face the Rising Sun.
On the night, RTÉ2 will repeat the Father Ted Eurovision episode A Song for Europe at 9pm, followed by The Saturday Game.
Announcing its decision not to screen the Eurovision, Slovenian broadcaster RTV said: “For the next 10 days, instead of the Eurovision circus, the national television programme will be coloured by the thematic programme series Voices of Palestine.”
Spain’s public service broadcaster, RTVE, will run its own musical special, The House of Music, instead of this year’s Eurovision.
In a statement, Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said the videos were not in line with the rules or the spirit of the competition.
Suspicions have been raised that the televoting system was being manipulated to boost Israel at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland.
Some broadcasters also raised concerns about media freedom, with Israel preventing their journalists from accessing Gaza.
This year is the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the Austrian capital is pulling out all the stops to host the event.
Five countries – Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain – are boycotting the contest over Israel’s war in Gaza
First held in 1956, Eurovision is run by the European Broadcasting Union, the world’s biggest alliance of public service media.
Amnesty International said that the EBU’s failure to suspend Israel from Eurovision, as it did with Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, was “an act of cowardice and an illustration of blatant double standards”.
Israel’s participation “offers the country a platform to try to deflect attention from and normalise its ongoing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip”, Amnesty’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard said in a statement.
“Songs and sequins must not be allowed to drown out or distract from Israel’s atrocities or Palestinian suffering.”
A UN-backed probe in September determined that “genocide is occurring in Gaza” – something Israel vehemently denies.
Source: AFP