Eurovision’s found itself back in the headlines — and not for the usual reasons.
A new open letter from campaign group No Music for Genocide is calling for Israel to be banned from the 2026 contest, and it’s already pulled in more than 1,100 signatures from across the music and arts world.
It’s not a small-name pile-on either. Massive Attack, Brian Eno, Macklemore, Paloma Faith and Irish group Kneecap are all on board, alongside past Eurovision winners Emmelie de Forest and Charlie McGettigan.
The message is pretty direct. The letter argues that allowing Israel’s public broadcaster KAN to compete risks “normalising” and “whitewashing” what signatories describe as a genocide in Gaza, alongside ongoing conditions in the West Bank.
It also calls out what it sees as a double standard. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Eurovision organisers moved quickly to remove the country from the competition. Critics are now pointing to that decision as a benchmark — and questioning why the same approach hasn’t been taken here.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) hasn’t budged. Their line is the same as it’s been through previous controversies: Eurovision is a non-political event between broadcasters, not governments.
But that separation is getting harder to maintain.
This isn’t just a one-off letter either. No Music for Genocide has been building momentum since late last year, pushing for a broader cultural boycott — including encouraging artists to geo-block their music in Israel and step away from affiliated platforms.
The idea is simple: if music has cultural power, it can also be used as pressure.
And all of this is landing at a pretty tense time for Eurovision. The last two editions were already weighed down by protests, artist withdrawals and audience backlash. Some broadcasters — including those in Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands — have faced growing calls to reconsider their involvement if Israel remains in the competition.
Fans are split. Some are openly talking about sitting this one out, others seem worn down by the constant cycle of controversy around what’s usually a pretty escapist event.
Either way, 2026 is shaping up to be less about glitter cannons and more about where the line between music and politics actually sits.
The letter ends with a pretty clear stance: silence isn’t neutral.
And right now, neither is Eurovision.
