Eurovision 2026: Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia Escalate Boycott by Pulling Broadcasts
The boycott of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest has reached a new level of intensity. In a radical escalation, the public broadcasting groups of Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia have announced that they will not only refuse to participate in this year’s competition in Vienna but will also completely pull the broadcast from their airwaves.
The decision to black out the event stems from a protest against Israel’s participation in the contest. This move transforms a standard boycott into a total media blackout, ensuring that audiences in these three nations will not see the competition on their national public channels.
To fill the void left by the contest, each broadcaster has planned alternative programming for the weekend. Slovenia’s RTV confirmed it will replace the Saturday final with a thematic program titled “Voices of Palestine,” dedicated to the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, Spain’s RTVE will air a special edition of La Casa de la Musica, a musical event designed to celebrate the broadcaster’s 70th anniversary and honor its seven-decade legacy of broadcasting music. Ireland’s RTE plans to air an episode of a television series in the Eurovision time slot.
This broadcasting blackout follows a broader wave of industry pressure. On April 22, 2026, a massive call for a boycott was launched by more than 1,000 artists, including high-profile names such as Massive Attack and Peter Gabriel.
The decision by these national broadcasters to actively replace the contest with alternative content signals a significant shift in the event’s political landscape, moving beyond mere non-participation to a total exclusion of the spectacle from national media. This development adds a layer of unprecedented tension to the 70th edition of the storied competition as it prepares for its run in Vienna.
