Ireland Eurovision 2026 boycott welcomed as Spain, Slovenia and Netherlands also withdraw
Confirmation by Irish national broadcaster RTÉ that Ireland will not participate in or screen the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after it was confirmed Israel will be allowed to take part has been welcomed in the country.
Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and The Netherlands have all announced they will not participate next year after Israel’s participation was confirmed following a meeting on Thursday. A number of other countries are expected to decide whether they will compete over the coming days.
Ireland is tied with Sweden as the countries that has won the contest most times. Derry’s own Dana was the first Irish winner with All Kinds of Everything back in 1970, followed by Johnny Logan, whose father hailed from Derry (1980 and 1987), Linda Martin (1992), Niamh Kavanagh (1993), Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan (1994), and Eimear Quinn (1996).
The country’s proud record in Eurovision extends beyond that record however with 1994 Eurovision interval act Riverdance becoming an international phenomenon.
In a statement issued on Thursday evening, RTÉ stated: “Following today’s EBU Winter General Assembly in Geneva at which Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was confirmed, RTÉ’s position remains unchanged. RTÉ will not participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, nor will RTÉ broadcast the competition. “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk. RTÉ remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory.”
The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) welcomed RTÉ’s reaffirmation.
IPSC Chairperson and Cultural Liaison Zoë Lawlor said: “RTÉ standing by September's commitment not to participate in Eurovision is very welcome, and a testimony to the years-long campaign by activists, artists, arts collectives, trade unions, LGBTQ+ allies, venues and, of course, the RTÉ staff members of the Dublin Broadcasting Branch of the NUJ. RTÉ’s recognition of the targeted murder of so many of their Palestinian journalist peers by Israel, as well as the blocking of international journalists entering Gaza, is also welcome.
"The campaign to boycott Eurovision is an international collective dedicated to upholding the Palestinian BDS call, and to working to ensure their picket line is not crossed. It is the culture of impunity that has seen no sanctions of Israel for its crimes against the Palestinian people that has enabled it to commit genocide. This must end and Israel must be isolated from all international competitions.
"It is shameful that the EBU has not expelled Israel to date, and that the vote on its participation did not go ahead today.
"We commend RTÉ, and the national broadcasters of Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia for their stances and we will continue to work alongside our European partners as they campaign for all broadcasters to withdraw from the competition until such time as Israel is expelled.”
Sinn Féin MLA Sinéad Ennis MLA said: “The Eurovision Song Contest should not be used as a tool for Israel to whitewash its daily human rights abuse and breaches of International Law. I would urge other broadcasters including the BBC to show moral leadership and take the same stance.”
The President of Israel Isaac Herzog meanwhile welcomed his country’s participation in Eurovision 2026.
Posting on X, he said: “Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world, a cause to which I am fully and actively committed.
" I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, and I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding.”