How will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 14 April 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Broadcasters from The Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia are all boycotting May’s Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is participating.
Sources within Israel’s broadcaster say calls for it to be banned are unjustified, and organisers of the contest insist it must remain politically neutral, describing the event as "a platform for displaying the importance of peace and unity in a divided world".
The boycott has sparked one of the biggest crises in Eurovision’s 70-year history. In several cases, the position to withdraw also reflects wider pressure from politicians and public opinion. How will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest?’
Contributors: Natalija Gorščak, president of the management board of RTV, Slovenia Dr Bárbara Barreiro León, lecturer in film and visual Culture, University of Aberdeen, UK Dr Heather Dichter, associate professor of sport history and sport management, De Montfort University, UK Dr Dean Vuletic, author Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, Luxembourg
Presenter/Producer: Daniel Rosney Editor: Tom Bigwood Sound Engineer: James Bradshaw Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Eurovision flags. Credit: Georg Hochmuth/Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Welcome to The Inquiry from the BBC World Service with me, Daniel Rosny. |
| 0:12.5 | Each week, one question for expert witnesses and an answer. |
| 0:18.6 | December 2025. |
| 0:21.4 | Representatives from public service broadcasters are gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, |
| 0:26.3 | to discuss the Eurovision Song Contest, the world's largest live music event |
| 0:31.0 | and one of the most watched TV shows in the world. |
| 0:34.7 | A number of participating countries say they will withdraw if Israel is included in |
| 0:39.9 | the 2026 competition. Organizers try to appease the threat by proposing reforms designed to |
| 0:47.9 | ensure the contest remains a celebration of music and unity. Those changes are approved and there's no vote on Israel's involvement. |
| 0:58.2 | Five countries, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia, then all announce |
| 1:04.4 | a boycott. |
| 1:05.9 | They explain their decision is because of Israel's war in Gaza. |
| 1:10.4 | This week on the inquiry, we're asking how will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest? |
| 1:19.5 | Part 1, United by Music. |
| 1:24.6 | The first Eurovision song contest began in 1956. |
| 1:29.2 | It's an annual competition for members of the European Broadcasting Union, the EBU, |
| 1:34.6 | a community of public service media organisations. |
| 1:38.2 | Even smaller participants like San Marino and Cyprus gives a special taste to the Eurovision |
| 1:43.3 | because there are so many different |
| 1:45.1 | nations. That's why Eurovision is so interesting and important. Today, each participating |
| 1:50.9 | broadcaster, including the United Kingdom's BBC, selects an act to represent its country |
... |
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