Several members of Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV’s Board of Directors have today recommended that RÚV continue its boycott of Eurovision. The broadcaster withdrew from the Contest for the 2026 edition in Vienna, alongside those from Spain, Slovenia, Ireland and the Netherlands in protest at Israel’s continued participation.
“Our position remains unchanged”
Taking to her Facebook page on Wednesday (September 30th), Diljá Ámundadóttir Zoëga – who sits on the board – shared the minutes of her most recent meeting with her fellow directors. In the minutes, she explained that of the nine board members who were at the meeting, six were in agreement of staying out of the Contest. She also wrote that because of this:
[RÚV] is to notify the EBU that the Icelandic National Broadcasting Corporation will not participate in Eurovision in 2027 unless Israel is barred from participating in the competition. The previous call to the EBU that Israel be expelled from the competition is reiterated and it is requested that the radio director convey that reiteration.
In addition to this, the board’s chariman Stefán Jón Hafstein, said in a recent interview that because the major issue of Israeli participation is not addressed, the broadcaster’s position remains unchanged. “It’s quite clear that six board members were on the same page as at the end of last year,” he said.
An official statement has not yet been given by RÚV regarding its future at the Eurovision Song Contest. Currently, only Ireland has confirmed it will maintain its boycott of Eurovision until Israel is removed from the competition. Meanwhile, the Netherlands will return to the competition under a new broadcaster.
Iceland’s Eurovision journey
Iceland made its debut on the Eurovision stage in 1986, finishing 16th with the song “Gleðibankinn” (Bank of Fun) by ICY. In their 35 appearances, Iceland has finished in top 10 an impressive 7 times. Their best result to date is second place, which they have achieved twice. The first time was in 1999, where Selma Björnsdóttir received 146 points for her performance of “All Out of Luck”. The second time was in 2009, with Yohanna singing “Is It True” and receiving 218 points.
VÆB represented Iceland in Basel in 2025 with their song “RÓA”. The duo qualified for the final, bringing Iceland back into the final for the first time since 2022. In the final, they would eventually finish in 25th place with 33 points; all of these were awarded by the televote. Following the 2025 EBU December General Assembly vote, Icelandic broadcaster RÚV withdrew from the Contest in protest of the continued participation of Israel.
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News source: RÚV
Image credits: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
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