Iceland moves to block Israel from Eurovision 2026 as broadcasters prepare to walk away
Iceland didn’t just clear its throat this week — it effectively reached across the table and told the EBU that Israel’s place at Eurovision 2026 should be on the chopping block. The message came straight from the top of RÚV’s board, confirmed by chairman Stefán Jón Hafstein, after a tense internal meeting that ended with a majority vote to formally ask the European Broadcasting Union to block Israel from competing in Vienna next May.
Five votes out of nine. Not unanimous. Not theatrical. Just… decided.
What happens next is the bit everyone’s circling in their diaries: 4 and 5 December, when the EBU meets in General Assembly. That’s when the Icelandic recommendation will be officially laid on the table, alongside a growing pile of uncomfortable questions about neutrality, politics and whether Eurovision can still pretend it only cares about key changes and sequins.
Iceland, for now, is keeping its own participation in a holding pattern. No promises. No threats. Just a very Nordic “we’ll see what the EBU does first” as the clock ticks. And honestly, you can’t blame them. The whole field is shifting.
Spain, Ireland and Slovenia have already made it crystal clear that Israel’s participation is a red line for them. Slovenia, in particular, is hovering on the edge of a full withdrawal, with internal signals suggesting the decision is almost made. If that happens, Iceland won’t be standing alone. It will be part of a very visible bloc of broadcasterssuddenly reconsidering whether Eurovision 2026 in Vienna is something they still want their name attached to.
Behind the unity slogans and glossy Eurovision visuals, the contest is in an uncomfortable place. The EBU keeps insisting this is a music competition, not geopolitics. At the same time, broadcasters are looking at Gaza, looking at their audiences, looking at each other… and quietly asking whether silence is worse than absence.
For now, participation remains officially “under discussion”. Off the record, the reality feels a lot more fragile.
Eurovision is supposed to be a shared stage. Right now, it feels more like a negotiation room with microphones.
And the music hasn’t even started yet.
Source: RÚV
