Public broadcasters of three European countries—Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia—announced on Monday that they will boycott the 70th Eurovision Song Contest by not airing it, protesting Israel's involvement amid the Gaza war.

Iceland and the Netherlands had already declared a boycott of the 2026 contest last year, though they will still broadcast the event on television despite not participating.

Slovenian broadcaster RTV stated: "Instead of the Eurovision circus, the national television program will be colored by the thematic program series 'Voices of Palestine'." Ireland's RTE will stream a Eurovision-themed episode of the popular 1990s sitcom "Father Ted" during the final.

Spain, one of the contest's biggest financial donors, will air its own musical special, "The House of Music."

In 2022, Russia was banned from the contest for invading Ukraine, with Ukraine winning that year. In 2025, Israel finished second, sparking allegations of vote manipulation by the Israeli government, which organizers dismissed. A proposed vote on Israel's participation was withdrawn under pressure from European allies.

The number of votes per person was reduced from 20 to 10. The winner is chosen by a combination of professional jury and public vote.

The contest is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) annually in May. Founded in post-war Europe in 1957, the EBU includes Israel (since 1973) and Australia (since 2015).

Despite controversies, Eurovision remains highly popular, attracting around 160 million viewers and known for its extravagant performances.

Source: www.dw.com