Iceland has joined Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in announcing it’ll boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.

All 5 nations have withdrawn after Israel’s participation within the festival used to be formally showed final week.

Stefan Eiriksson, director-general of Icelandic nationwide broadcaster RÚV, mentioned: “There is not any peace or pleasure attached to this contest as issues stand now. On that foundation, before everything, we’re stepping again whilst the location is as it’s.”

RÚV mentioned Israel’s participation had “created disunity amongst each participants of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and most of the people”.

The broadcaster’s board agreed the verdict at a gathering on Wednesday, hours prior to the cut-off date for nations to verify whether or not they are going to sign up for what is intended to be a celebratory seventieth anniversary version of the music contest subsequent May.

Iceland used to be believed to be the final ultimate nation to announce its determination.

Eurovision director Martin Green mentioned: “We appreciate the verdict of all broadcasters who’ve selected no longer to take part in subsequent yr’s Eurovision Song Contest and hope to welcome them again quickly.”

Israel’s presence at Eurovision has been an expanding supply of hysteria, as a result of the battle in Gaza and considerations in regards to the vote casting and campaigning processes, together with accusations that Israel’s executive attempted to persuade the general public vote at this yr’s tournament.

A brand new raft of measures designed to give protection to the integrity of the vote used to be licensed at an EBU summit final week, and then maximum nations showed they’d go back and forth to Vienna for the 2026 contest.

The Icelandic broadcaster’s board had prior to now licensed a advice to invite the EBU to prohibit Israel from Eurovision 2026.

Iceland used to be reportedly amongst seven nations that then asked a vote on the EBU overall assembly on Israel’s participation.

That request used to be denied, and Israel’s long term participation used to be as an alternative successfully tied to a poll at the new vote casting and campaigning laws.

The Icelandic broadcaster mentioned that whilst the brand new measures addressed a lot of its considerations, it “believes that there are nonetheless doubts whether or not the agreed changes could be totally ample”.

“RÚV has repeadly raised considerations that quite a lot of Icelandic stakeholders, equivalent to artist associations and most of the people, had been hostile to participation within the contest.

“Furthermore, RÚV had asked the EBU to exclude [Israeli public broadcaster] KAN from the competition according to precedents.

“It is a posh topic which has already broken the competition’s recognition and EBU, emphasizing the need of an answer for all involved events.”

According to a transcript of Thursday’s assembly equipped through KAN, the broadcaster’s leader government Golan Yochpaz criticised the ones seeking to get Israel thrown out.

“The strive to take away KAN from the competition can handiest be understood as a cultural boycott,” he mentioned. “A boycott would possibly start nowadays with Israel, however no person is aware of the place it’ll finish or who else it’s going to hurt.

“Is this what we really need this contest to be remembered for on its seventieth anniversary?”

Israel has taken section in Eurovision since 1973 as a result of KAN, its public broadcaster, is a member of the EBU, which organises the contest.

Israel has received 4 instances, maximum just lately in 2018, and got here 2nd within the 2025 contest.

Iceland hasn’t ever received however got here 2nd in 1999 and 2009.

Poland ‘giving Eurovision a possibility’

Meanwhile, Poland showed on Wednesday that it’ll participate in subsequent yr’s contest.

“We are acutely aware of the size of tensions surrounding the impending version. We perceive the feelings and considerations,” broadcaster TVP mentioned.

“However, we consider that Eurovision nonetheless has a possibility to as soon as once more change into an area stuffed with track – and handiest track.

“We are giving it that opportunity, simply as the majority of EBU participants are.”

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