Another withdrawal has shaken up Norway’s lineup for the 2026 Melodi Grand Prix (MGP) ahead of the competition’s final selection process. Duo Sander Silva and Victorjus have announced they are pulling out of the “MGP cup” round, citing ethical concerns over Israel’s participation in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. The move follows a similar decision by Ylvis and comes amid increasing debate and calls for a boycott of Eurovision related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Another act has withdrawn from Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix (MGP), following the recent announcement that comedic duo Bård and Vegard Ylvisåker would not be competing.
Sander Silva and Victorjus have confirmed they are no longer participating in the MGP cup with their song “Fritt Fall.”
The duo had been tight-lipped about their reasons for withdrawing, until now.
The MGP cup sees a handful of artists vying for a spot in the final of the popular music competition.
What MGP Artists Are Saying About Israel’s Participation
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“Grave War Crimes”
In a statement posted to Instagram, the artists explained their decision. They stated they could not risk participating in a competition that leads directly to Eurovision while Israel remains a participant.
– It is with a heavy heart that we must withdraw from the MGP cup. We find it tragic that Israel is allowed to participate in Eurovision while grave war crimes have been committed against Palestinians in Gaza, they wrote on Instagram.
– Several countries have chosen to mark this by boycotting. Norway and NRK have chosen to participate, they continued.
Sander Silva has been informed that TV 2 is reporting on the statements in this article.
“A Limit to How Far We Can Go”
The duo also thanked all the listeners who voted for their entry, as well as NRK and the MGP jury for the opportunity.
They acknowledged it was disappointing to give up such an opportunity as emerging artists.
– At the same time, we have always felt there is a limit to how far we can go with our conscience intact.
TV 2 has attempted to reach Torjus Fornes for comment regarding this matter, without success.
Swedish Eurovision Expert: “What a Disaster, Ylvis”
NRK: “A Strange Time”
Mads Tørklep, project leader at NRK, confirmed the artists’ withdrawal from the MGP cup.
– It’s unfortunate for the other participants in the cup that they didn’t come to this conclusion before taking part in the competition. As such, it’s a strange time, says Tørklep to TV 2.
– At the same time, it doesn’t affect MGP’s main field and is therefore not particularly dramatic. This fortunately doesn’t dampen the exciting cup final tomorrow, he added.
Back for a Third Time
Why NRK Is Not Boycotting Eurovision
While several countries have chosen to boycott Eurovision due to Israel’s participation, NRK stated in September that they would not do the same.
– As a public broadcaster, NRK is in a challenging position: We must both report independently and impartially from the war in Gaza and participate in the world’s largest song competition. In the war, we are observers, in the song competition we are participants, NRK CEO Vibeke Fürst Haugen wrote in an article in Aftenposten in September 2025.
Months later, there was a storm of complaints against NRK, with the Broadcasting Council receiving 240 complaints after it became known that Israel was allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
– It’s not often that so many complaints come in such a short time. It happens maybe a few times a year. Given people’s engagement in this issue earlier, it’s not a surprising number of complaints, said Erik Skarrud, special advisor to the Broadcasting Council, to TV 2 in December 2025.
