EBU to vote in November on barring Israel from Eurovision

26/9/2025 17:14

Members of the European Broadcasting Union will vote in November on Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna next year, according to media reports.



Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung and the Guardian reported on Thursday that EBU members were informed of the vote in a letter from the organisation's president.



The Kronen Zeitung included a screenshot of the letter which said that the EBU executive board recognised that it could not reach a consensual position on the participation of Israeli public broadcaster, KAN. Reuters could not immediately confirm the letter's authenticity.



On September 16, Spanish state broadcaster RTVE's board voted to withdraw from the 2026 contest to be held in May in Vienna if Israel took part in the event.



Spain is the fifth country to make such a pledge after the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland and Ireland, and the first of the so-called "Big Five" - a group that also includes Britain, Germany, Italy and France. These countries automatically qualify for the contest's final round.



Eurovision, which stresses its political neutrality, has faced controversy this year linked to the war in Gaza.