Eurovision has changed its rules so countries at war or in a sensitive geopolitical situation cannot host the annual song contest.
While no country was explicitly named, the decision appears to target Israel, whose participation has been overshadowed by controversy linked to continuing conflicts. Five European countries boycotted this year's contest in Vienna over Israel's participation.
Eurovision director Martin Green said: “The Eurovision song contest is constantly evolving, and our annual review of the rules is an important part of making sure the contest remains fair, transparent and consistent for all those who participate, including the millions who engage with the event globally.”
The updates were made following the European Broadcasting Union's annual review of the contest and based on “feedback from participating broadcasters after Vienna 2026”, a Eurovision statement said. They “are designed to provide greater clarity for all those taking part, including artists and those working on the production”.
The host country is usually the winner of the previous year's contest. Ukraine, which like Israel, has ranked highly in the competition, could also be affected by the change in rules. In 2023, the UK hosted Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine, which could not organise it due to the Russian invasion.
“The winning broadcaster will automatically be ineligible to host the contest if an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region,” the statement said.
The focus on Eurovision by pro-Palestine campaigners started in 2019 when Tel Aviv, Israel, hosted the contest.
In 2024, Israeli contestant Eden Golan finished fifth with her song Hurricane. Its lyrics had been rewritten after they were originally regarded as supporting the Gaza war. This year, despite protests, Israeli singer Noam Bettan won second prize with his romantic ballad Michelle and ranked third in the popular vote. Israel's Yuval Raphael also came second in 2025.
Israel's participation has not only been affected by geopolitics. Its methods were also criticised as unfair after Israeli broadcaster Kan called on voters to vote “20 times” for Bettam. The voting system is based on jury points and a public vote across participant countries, which this year totalled 35. However, voters cannot vote for their own country.
As a result, the European Broadcasting Union last year halved the audience voting cap. That change in the rules was a compromise to avoid voting on Israel's participation. This was viewed as insufficient by Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland, which all withdrew from the contest.
