The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has postponed the vote on whether Israel will be allowed to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which had originally been planned for November.
Decision to be made in December
As reported by Der Standard, the EBU’s Supervisory Board decided on Monday to cancel the extraordinary meeting that had been scheduled for next month.
Instead, the topic will now be discussed during the regular General Assembly, taking place from 4–5 December.
In a statement, the EBU said there is “a clear need to hold an open and personal discussion among its members regarding participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.”
It added that the board therefore chose to include the matter on the December agenda “rather than convene an additional meeting beforehand.”
According to the Austrian outlet, the decision was made “in light of recent developments in the Middle East.” following the current signed ceasefire in Gaza.
AVROTROS confirms postponement
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS confirmed the news, writing:
“The EBU has postponed the meeting planned for November to determine whether Israel should participate in Eurovision 2026. The vote will be held at their General Assembly from 4–5 December instead.”
The EBU has not yet clarified whether a formal vote will take place in December or if discussions will continue into 2026.
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.
What do you think? 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: Der Standard
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming / EBU
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