DR has confirmed that the country will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 if Israel competes, despite several other nations discussing withdrawal. However, DR’s participation comes with specific conditions.
Danish statement on Israel
Speaking to DR Nyheder, Gustav Lützhøft, Senior Editor for DR Culture, Debate and Music, explained the Danish broadcaster’s stance on taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest:
DR supports ESC as a cultural event that has brought nations together through music since 1957. Our participation is conditional on there still being a strong international community, security in place and an apolitical framework around the competition.
Our participation is neither a support for nor a protest against individual countries, but rather a desire to maintain communities across borders. In a time marked by unrest and division, it is worth reminding each other of the original purpose of competitions like ESC: to create a space where we can meet across differences and disagreements. ESC must be preserved as an apolitical community. DR wants to continue to be a part of this, and we have informed the EBU of this.
The EBU General Assembly, set for December 4–5 in Geneva, will include a vote on whether Israel will take part in Eurovision 2026.
Denmark plans to choose its Eurovision 2026 representative via Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026, scheduled to take place on 14 February.
Denmark’s Eurovision journey
Denmark first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1957 and notched up their first win in 1963 with Grethe and Jørgan Ingmann’s “Dansevise”. Denmark later earned two third-place finishes in 1988 and 1989 but was then relegated three times in 1994, 1996, and 1998. They finally achieved their second victory in 2000 with the Olsen Brothers’ “Fly on the Wings of Love”, and have missed the Grand Final eight times since the introduction of the semi-finals. A six-year qualification streak from 2008 culminated in its third win in 2013 with Emmelie de Forrest’s “Only Teardrops”.
Sissal represented Denmark in 2025 with “Hallucination”. She qualified for the final, breaking Denmark’s five-year non-qualification streak. She would eventually finish in 23rd place, earning 47 points. Of these, 45 came from juries, while 2 came from the televote.
Will Denmark’s conditions influence broader EBU policy ahead of 2026, or will participation become contingent on how these collective concerns are handled? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: dr.dk
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU
Tetiana Viznytsia 
Tim J 
Euan T