Iceland has announced that it will be pulling out of its participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest due to Israel’s participation in the competition.
Iceland officially joins four other countries that have pulled themselves from the competition, which also includes Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
The country’s state broadcaster, RÚV, explained that Israel’s participation had “created disunity among both members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the general public.”
“There is no peace or joy connected to this contest as things stand now. On that basis, first and foremost, we are stepping back while the situation is as it is,” stated Stefan Eiriksson, RÚV’s director-general.
Martin Green, the Director of Eurovision, commented, “We respect the decision of all broadcasters who have chosen not to participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest and hope to welcome them back soon.”