Germany to boycott Eurovision 2026 if Israel banned to participate

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says that if Israel is excluded from Eurovision 2026, Germany will not take part, Euronews writes.

When asked in an interview with public broadcaster ARD on Sunday whether Germany should voluntarily withdraw from participation in the world’s largest live music event next year if Israel is excluded, Merz said, “I would support this. I think it’s a scandal that this is even being discussed. Israel has a place there.”

Germany is one of Eurovision’s “Big Five” alongside France, Italy, Spain, and the UK – the countries whose broadcasters are the contest’s biggest financial contributors.

France has already confirmed it will be participating in next year’s contest, while Spain recently became the first of the “Big Five” to officially announce it would withdraw from next year’s Eurovision should Israel not be banned.