Austria's public broadcaster ORF has said it is still hoping for a compromise over Israel’s participation in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, as pressure grows from countries threatening to boycott the event.
Speaking in Vienna, ORF director general Roland Weissmann said he had been doing "intense work" to persuade fellow broadcasters to come to Austria for the 70th contest next May, adding that "this is the time for diplomacy".
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has postponed a decision on whether Israel can compete in 2026. A vote that had been expected at an extraordinary meeting in November will now take place at the EBU’s regular general assembly in December.
Spain has said it will boycott the contest if Israel takes part, with Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands having issued similar warnings. Other broadcasters, including those in Belgium, Sweden and Finland, are still weighing up their positions ahead of the December meeting.
Austria’s State Secretary for foreign affairs Sepp Schellhorn has criticised the boycott calls, describing cultural boycotts as "dumb and pointless" and arguing that Eurovision should remain a meeting of musicians rather than a venue for political disputes. Germany has also warned against excluding Israel, saying doing so would politicise a cultural event and run counter to its "historical responsibility".
Ireland’s RTÉ has previously said it will not take part in Eurovision 2026 if Israel remains in the line up, citing the "appalling loss of life" in Gaza and concerns about attacks on journalists. The broadcaster has said a final decision on participation will depend on the outcome of the EBU’s December discussions.
The debate comes as the contest prepares for its 70th edition. Austria is due to host the shows at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle on 12, 14 and 16 May 2026, after Austrian singer JJ (Johannes Pietsch) won Eurovision 2025 in Basel with Wasted Love, which mixed techno production with operatic vocals.
This year’s contest reached 166 million viewers across 37 countries, underlining why broadcasters and governments see the stakes in the current stand-off as so high.
Israel finished second in 2025 with singer Yuval Raphael, who has spoken publicly about surviving the 7 October 2023 attack on a music festival in southern Israel that helped trigger the current war in Gaza.
At the same time, the EBU is under scrutiny for how it applies its rules. Russia was excluded from Eurovision in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine, while Belarus’s state broadcaster was suspended as an EBU member in 2021 over concerns about media freedom, which also removed it from the contest.
Despite the political tensions, preparations for Vienna continue. Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria have all announced plans to return to the competition in 2026, while Canada has begun talks with the EBU about a possible future debut.
Source: AFP
