Iceland has joined Ireland, Slovenia, Spain and the Netherlands in countries to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
On Wednesday, December 10, a statement noted, "The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV) has decided not to participate in the Eurovision song contest in Vienna, Austria, next year."
The decision was made after Israel's participation in the competition was confirmed last week, and the RÚV cited "disunity" caused by their participation as the reason for the withdrawal.
Moreover, the announcement came after the board held a meeting hours before the deadline for countries to confirm whether they will join the 70th anniversary edition of the song contest, taking place in May.
Iceland was believed to be the last remaining country to announce its decision.
Israel's presence at Eurovision has been an increasing source of tension because of the war in Gaza and concerns about the voting and campaigning processes, including accusations that Israel's government tried to influence the public vote at this year's event.
Last week, Spain said it had decided to withdraw after it asked for a vote on Israel's participation, which was not approved.
Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands also pulled out after the summit.
Israel has been participating in Eurovision since 1973 because KAN, its public broadcaster, is a member of the EBU, which organises the competition.
