How will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest?
From The Inquiry by BBC World Service
April 14, 2026 · 24 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of countries boycotting Eurovision due to Israel's participation and the political implications surrounding the event.
Broadcasters from The Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia are all boycotting May’s Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is participating. Sources within Israel’s broadcaster say calls for it to be banned are unjustified, and organisers of the contest insist it must remain politically neutral, describing the event as "a platform for displaying the importance of peace and unity in a divided world". The boycott has sparked one of the biggest crises in Eurovision’s 70-year history. In several cases, the position to withdraw also reflects wider pressure from politicians and public opinion. How will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest?’ Contributors: Natalija Gorščak, president of the management board of RTV, Slovenia Dr Bárbara Barreiro León, lecturer in film and visual Culture, University of Aberdeen, UK Dr Heather Dichter, associate professor of sport history and sport management, De Montfort University, UK Dr Dean Vuletic, author Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, Luxembourg Presenter/Producer: Daniel Rosney Editor: Tom Bigwood Sound Engineer: James Bradshaw Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey (Photo: Eurovision flags…
People in this episode
Host: Daniel Rosney
Guests: Natalija Gorščak, Dr Bárbara Barreiro León, Dr Heather Dichter, Dr Dean Vuletic
Topics covered
- Eurovision
- boycott
- politics
- Israel
- public opinion
- cultural events
Keywords
- Eurovision
- boycott
- Israel
- politics
- cultural events
- public opinion
- music competition
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Eurovision Song Contest
Places: The Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Slovenia, Israel
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