According to the new schedule, the organizers of the contest decided to wait for their winter General Assembly, which will take place in December, instead of holding an extraordinary session that was previously announced in September. In a statement from the EBU sent to AFP, it was noted: "The Council decided to include this issue in the agenda of its upcoming winter General Assembly."
The Eurovision contest will take place in Austria in May 2026. Recently, there have been disputes regarding Israel's participation, as artists and various associations have called for Israel to be excluded from the list of participants due to its actions during the conflict in Gaza, which began after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Some countries, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands, have already stated that they will not send their representatives to Vienna if Israel is allowed to participate. Belgium, Sweden, and Finland are also considering a boycott.
Geopolitical issues traditionally influence the course of the contest. Since the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, Israel has participated in two "Eurovisions," and both times it was accompanied by protests.
Austria expressed regret over the calls for a boycott, and Germany's Minister of Culture, Wolfram Weimer, opposed such actions, noting that excluding Israel would contradict the fundamental principles of the contest, turning it into a tribunal instead of a celebration of mutual understanding.
As reported by Ynet, the EBU had previously unofficially suggested that representatives of Israel withdraw from participating in the 2026 contest or perform under a neutral flag, as Russian athletes did at the last Olympic Games.
The anniversary 70th edition of Eurovision will take place in Vienna, with the final scheduled for May 16, 2026, and the semifinals on May 12 and 14.
