Austria’s foreign minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger has directly appealed to nations looking to boycott next year’s Eurovision to reconsider. It comes as preparations continue for ORF to host next year’s show in Vienna.
Boycott “will not improve” Gaza situation
Speaking to Reuters, Meinl-Reisinger asked for Spain, Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Slovenia to defer their decisions to boycott next year’s show should Israel be allowed to participate. Writing to each broadcaster directly – as well as Belgian broadcaster VRT – the diplomat said the decision to withdraw would do little to help the situation on the ground itself.
The minister said:
As foreign minister of the host country, I am deeply concerned about the risk of a rift between the members of the European Broadcasting Union on this issue.
Such a rift would only deepen the discord and preclude opportunities for important dialogue between artists and the public – without improving the situation on the ground in Israel and Gaza.
Beate added that in her view, excluding Israel would also not stop the humanitarian crisis going on in the Palestinian territories. Neither would it create space for a dialogue between nations on reaching a sustainable two-state solution.
Host nation Austria is one of the few nations that has openly backed Israeli participation at Eurovision. Discussions remain ongoing between the EBU and its member broadcasters on whether Israel should be allowed to take part, following several concerns over voter manipulation during the 2025 Contest. A final vote to decide on Israeli participation will be held in December, with the deadline to participate being pushed back to mid-December to allow for the vote.
The story of Eurovision 2026 so far
The journey to the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest kicked off immediately following JJ’s win in Basel, when Austria’s ORF accepted the rights to host the 70th edition of the contest. The bidding process started in June, with interested cities having until July 4 to submit their bid book. Innsbruck and Vienna were shortlisted, with the latter winning the right to host next year’s contest.
As for the organisation of the competition, the ‘core team‘ was revealed in June 2025, with further details about next year’s competition to be revealed in due course. The shows will take place on May 12th, 14th and 16th.
What do you make of the foreign minister’s comments? Do you think the boycott will end up going ahead? 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: Reuters
Photo Credit: BMEIA / Michael Gruber
Thomas James