EBU will hold a special vote in November 2025 to decide whether Israel’s broadcaster KAN will be allowed to participate in Eurovision 2026.
Division among the members
According to a letter sent to EBU members by President Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, the Board determined that the issue required “a broader democratic basis” due to the unprecedented division among members.
The letter notes that former EBU President Petr Dvořák was asked to prepare a report on the matter, drawing on feedback from member broadcasters. His findings showed a wide range of opinions, leading to the conclusion that “no consensus could be reached on KAN’s participation.”
In the letter, Ernotte-Cunci explained:
“Given that the Union has never faced a divisive situation like this before, the Board agreed that this question merited a broader democratic basis for a decision, whereby all Members should be given a voice.
Consequently, the Board decided to organize an extraordinary session of the General Assembly that would take place online in early November for Members to vote on the question of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.”
You can see the letter here.
Spain, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland might withdraw in case of an Israeli participation. Even former NRK employees urge a boycott of Eurovision 2026, and it’s unknown if the list will grow further.
The Journey to Eurovision 2026
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.
Will there be any solution from the session? Is the contest facing trouble? 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: EBU
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