New rules will be introduced for the Eurovision Song Contest and Israel will be able to compete in Vienna, Austria.
As part of the 95th General Assembly, the European Broadcasting Union presented new rules for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 to its members. These changes are:
- Acts and broadcasters are not allowed to actively engage in, facilitate or contribute to promotional campaigns by third parties.
- The number of votes the public can cast per device has been reduced from 20 to 10.
- Juries have returned to the semi-finals for the first time since 2022.
- The size and make-up of the juries has changed. Juries will now be formed of seven jurors, of which at least two of the jurors must now be aged between 18 and 25 years old. The professions that are eligible for being a juror have also been expanded.
- The EBU will work with its voting partner Once to expand the Eurovision Song Contest security systems, “which detect and prevent fraudulent or coordinated voting activity, and strengthen monitoring of suspicious patterns to maintain trust in the results of the audience vote”.
A vote was called on the changes being recommended by the European Broadcasting Union. The rule changes have passed by a majority, which means that a subsequent vote on Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest did not occur.
Speaking after the discussion, EBU President Delphine Ernotte Cunci said:
“The result of this vote demonstrates our Members’ shared commitment to protecting transparency and trust in the Eurovision Song Contest, the world’s largest live music event.”
“I would like to thank all Members for their thoughtful, respectful and constructive contributions during today’s session and throughout the extensive consultation process undertaken this year.”
“These discussions have led to meaningful changes to the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, ensuring it remains a place for unity and cultural exchange.”
This evening, AVROTROS, the Dutch broadcaster, has withdrawn from competing in the Eurovision Song Contest, concluding “that participation under the current circumstances is incompatible with the public values that are essential to us.” Spanish broadcaster RTVE also confirmed its withdrawal from the competition.
EBU Member Positions on Rule Changes & Israels Participation
Going into the General Assembly, a number of broadcasters stated their intention to withdraw from the contest should Israel be allowed to compete in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. The broadcasters who have shared this position are:
Iceland: RÚV – The Board of the Icelandic broadcaster will call on Israel to be banned from the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at the General Assembly. RÚV will determine whether it will participate in Eurovision 2026 after the General Assembly.- Ireland: RTÉ – The Irish broadcaster will withdraw should Israel be allowed to compete.
- Netherlands: AVROTROS – The Dutch broadcaster stated in September that it could not justify Israel’s continued participation given the situation in Gaza and cites Israeli government interference in the 2025 contest.
- Slovenia: RTVSLO – The Slovenian broadcaster views Israel’s participation as inconsistent with EBU and Eurovision rules and values, and will withdraw from the contest should Israel be allowed to compete.
- Spain: RTVE – The Spanish broadcaster has stated it believes the rule changes outlined are insufficient and that Israel’s participation is untenable. It will withdraw from the contest if Israel is allowed to compete.
Iceland: 
Ireland: 
Netherlands: 
Slovenia: 
Spain: In addition, the following broadcasters explained they would await the outcome of the General Assembly before confirming whether they would compete:
- 🇧🇪 Belgium: RTBF and VRT – Will decide on participation after the General Assembly
- 🇫🇮 Finland: Yle – Outlined four conditions for continued participation ahead of the General Assembly, with a decision on participation to be taken after the meeting.
Further broadcasters have outlined over the past months additional conditions and their views on changes that need to be made to the competition:
- 🇩🇰 Denmark – DR – The senior editor of DR Culture set out in September the Danish broadcasters conditions for participation.
- 🇳🇴 Norway – NRK – Outlined a series of concerns regarding the current state of the contest but did not intend to boycott the competition.
- 🇸🇪 Sweden – SVT – At the end of September, SVT set out three conditions for it continuing to compete.
Eurovision 2026
As announced by the EBU in August, the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will be held in Vienna following JJ’s victory for Austria with “Wasted Love” in Basel. Both semi-finals are scheduled for May 12 and 14, while the Grand Final will take place on May 16. The contest will be hosted at the Wiener Stadthalle, the same venue used in 2015, which can accommodate up to 16,000 spectators.
Source: EBU
