Iceland joins boycott of Eurovision with Israeli participation

Iceland will not participate in Eurovision 2025. Neither will the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia.

Iceland will not participate in next year’s Eurovision.

This is reported by the country’s public service channel RUV, after the media’s board made the decision at a meeting.

The decision was made after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, ruled on Thursday that Israel could participate in the competition.

In a press release, RUV writes that the public debate in Iceland has made it clear that neither joy nor peace will prevail if the television station participates in Eurovision.

– The song contest and Eurovision have always aimed to unite the Icelandic nation, but it is now clear that this goal cannot be achieved, and it is on this program-related basis that the decision has been made, writes RUV.

Israel’s participation in the song contest has been controversial due to the war in Gaza.

Following the EBU’s decision, television stations in the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have also decided to boycott the contest so that it will not be shown in the countries concerned.

It is the television stations that are members of the EBU that decide whether their countries participate in Eurovision.

It has not been decided whether the Icelandic song contest Söngvakeppnin will be held in 2026. It is usually the winner of that contest who represents Iceland at Eurovision.

In Denmark, DR holds the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, where the Danish representative for Eurovision is found.

DR has previously stated that there are no plans to boycott Eurovision from the Danish side.

However, DR has consistently said that the media’s participation is conditional on a number of conditions, including a “strong international community”, security and an apolitical framework for the competition.