Chaos continues
Because of Israel: Next country stops ESC participation
The chaos surrounding next year's Song Contest just won't calm down. As was announced on Wednesday, another participant has canceled the competition due to the admission of Israel.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna continues to flounder. As was announced on Wednesday, Iceland has decided not to take part in the competition - joining the list of countries that have already canceled due to Israel's admission. According to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the final list of participants will be published before Christmas.
Debate "has reached its limits"
ORF Program Director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz explained on "ZIB Talk" that the EBU had "reached its limits" due to the ongoing debate surrounding Israel's participation. Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland had already canceled their participation last week. Iceland followed suit after a meeting lasting almost three hours. Belgium, on the other hand, decided to take part after deliberations, while other countries such as Finland and Italy are considered shaky candidates.
The registration deadline for the ESC in Vienna ended on Wednesday, December 10. ORF boss Roland Weißmann was confident that it would still be possible to change the minds of one or two countries. According to Weißmann, no financial losses are to be expected as a result of the withdrawals, as the final number of participants has no influence on ORF's production budget or the EBU's contribution.
Field of participants to be expanded
Despite the boycott announcements by several countries, ORF is even planning to expand the field of participants: Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova are returning after breaks, and Canada is also showing interest in participating for the first time. Kazakhstan is also considered a possible newcomer, although the probability is lower.
Despite cancellations, all signs point to a record
Germany is planning its preliminary decision as usual as a single TV show on February 28 on ARD, while other countries are already organizing their selection procedures internally. The EBU currently expects around 35 broadcasters to take part, which means that the contest could still reach a record number of participants despite the current uncertainties.
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will take place on May 16, 2026 in Vienna's Stadthalle. The two semi-finals are scheduled for May 12 and 14. Despite the tensions surrounding Israel's participation, ORF emphasizes that they are aiming for a competition that is "as apolitical as possible".
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