The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced a series of changes to the Eurovision Song Contest voting rules for 2026 in a move it says is designed to strengthen trust, transparency and audience engagement.
The new framework will apply when Vienna hosts the 70th Eurovision Song Contest on 12, 14 and 16 May next year.
Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, Martin Green, said the neutrality and integrity of the event were "of paramount importance" and that the EBU was taking "clear and decisive steps to ensure the contest remains a celebration of music and unity". He said the contest "should remain a neutral space and must not be instrumentalised".
He added that enforcement of existing rules on lyrics and staging would also be tightened, and that broadcasters would be reminded they are responsible for upholding the contest's rules and values.
Clearer rules on promotion
The EBU is updating its Voting Instructions and Code of Conduct, which all participating broadcasters must follow, to address concerns about attempts to influence the result from outside the competition.
While appropriate promotion of artists and songs will continue to be allowed, the revised rules discourage "disproportionate promotion campaigns", particularly when they are carried out or supported by third parties such as governments or state agencies.
Broadcasters and artists will not be permitted to engage in, facilitate or contribute to third party campaigns that could affect the outcome of the vote. Under the updated Code of Conduct, efforts to unduly influence the result could lead to sanctions.
Fewer viewer votes and juries back in the semi finals
As part of its annual review of voting, the EBU will cut the maximum number of votes per payment method (online, SMS and phone) from 20 to 10 in 2026. Fans will be encouraged to spread their support across more entries instead of concentrating large numbers of votes on a single act.
Professional juries of music experts will also return to the semi finals for the first time since 2022, restoring an approximate 50/50 split between jury and audience voting in those shows, as already applies in the grand final (with the Rest of the World vote counted as one additional voting country).
Jury panels will increase from five to seven members. The range of professional backgrounds will widen to include music journalists and critics, music teachers, creative professionals such as choreographers and stage directors, and music industry figures. Each jury must now include at least two members aged 18-25, reflecting the contest’s younger audience.
All jurors will be required to sign a formal declaration confirming that they will vote independently and impartially, will not coordinate with other jurors before the contest, and will avoid posting their preferences on social media before voting concludes.
Technical safeguards
Alongside the rule changes, the EBU will continue to work with its voting partner Once to expand security systems that detect and block fraudulent or coordinated voting activity, and to strengthen monitoring of suspicious patterns in the televote.
Green said the measures were intended to "keep the focus where it belongs - on music, creativity and connection", and that while the 2025 contest in Basel delivered "a valid and robust result", the new safeguards would help ensure fans could be confident "every vote counts and every voice is heard".
All of the updates have been approved by the Eurovision Song Contest’s Reference Group, the governing body representing participating broadcasters. Their impact will be monitored after the 2026 contest and could inform further changes.
Ireland and December talks on participation
The EBU has said that members meeting at its General Assembly at the beginning of December will be asked to consider the new package of measures and decide whether they are sufficient to address concerns around participation, without holding a separate vote on the rule changes themselves.
Separately, the question of Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 is also due to be discussed at that General Assembly, after an extraordinary vote on the issue planned for November was cancelled. The EBU has previously said the matter will instead be taken up at the regular winter meeting in December.
RTÉ has already set out its position on this. In a statement issued in September, the broadcaster said Ireland would not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel’s participation goes ahead, and that a final decision on Ireland’s entry will be made once the EBU confirms its position.
After the General Assembly, the EBU will work with broadcasters to confirm who is taking part in Vienna. The full list of participating countries is due to be announced before Christmas.
