Eurovision 2026 set for Vienna with 35 participants
Organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced on Monday that 35 countries will compete in next year’s edition in Vienna, despite five nations boycotting the event over Israel’s participation.
Opposition to Israel’s actions in the two-year Gaza conflict had sparked calls for its exclusion from the world’s largest live televised music competition, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
On December 4, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world’s largest public service media alliance, confirmed that no vote would be required on Israel’s continued inclusion.
As a result, public broadcasters from Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain announced they would not participate in the 70th edition of the contest, scheduled to take place in Austria’s capital in May.
The Geneva-based EBU confirmed that 35 broadcasters will send songs and artists to Vienna. This follows a total of 37 countries participating in this year’s contest in Basel, Switzerland, which was won by Austrian operatic singer JJ with “Wasted Love.”
The upcoming contest will also see the return of Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova, absent for three, two, and one year respectively.
“As we prepare to celebrate 70 years of the Eurovision Song Contest, it remains a place where voices, cultures, languages, and music are woven together,” Eurovision director Martin Green said. He added that the return of Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova is “a vivid reminder of the enduring power of the Eurovision Song Contest, and of what it truly means to be united by music.”
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