Austria says it will refuse to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 if Israel is excluded.
Austria announced that it will refuse to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 if Israel is banned from participating. This announcement was made by Chancellor Christian Stöckl and Alexander Brol from the ruling Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), who confirmed that Austria will not support any boycott against Israel in this contest.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the body responsible for organizing the competition, is set to hold a meeting in November to vote on a decision to allow Israel to participate. Calls for Israel's exclusion have intensified due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region. Several European countries — including Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, and Slovenia — have threatened to withdraw from the competition if Israel is allowed to participate.
The Spanish positions carry a special weight due to their role as one of the five major funding countries for the competition, alongside France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The Israeli newspaper Ynet reported in September that the European Broadcasting Union had "unofficially" suggested to Israeli representatives either to withdraw temporarily or to participate under a neutral flag, similar to what Russian athletes did in some international competitions.
However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that Germany would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel is excluded, stating: "There is a place for Israel there." Austria won the right to host the 2026 competition after its representative JJ won in 2025 with his song "Wasted Love."
If Austria refuses to host, the national broadcaster ORF could face a fine of up to 40 million euros. Despite increasing political pressure, the European Broadcasting Union emphasized that Eurovision is not a competition between governments but between public broadcasters, confirming that the Israeli broadcaster KAN has not violated any rules that would lead to its exclusion from the competition.