Countries in ‘armed conflict’ to be barred from hosting Eurovision

Broadcasters will no longer be eligible to host the Eurovision Song Contest if their state is involved in an ‘armed conflict’ or ‘sensitive geopolitical situation’. Eurovision is traditionally hosted by the previous year’s winner’s broadcaster, with next year’s show due to take place in Bulgaria after Dara’s victory in May. Five long-time participants—Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Slovenia—boycotted this year’s competition in Vienna after organisers declined to exclude Israel over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza and violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, said it had changed the rules after feedback from participating broadcasters. The new rules aim to provide greater clarity for artists and production staff and ensure the contest provides a ‘safe and welcoming environment’. Israel claimed second place in this year’s competition, as it did in 2025. The Eurovision Song Contest director, Martin Green, stated that the contest is evolving and that rule changes are guided by feedback from members to ensure fairness, transparency, and consistency. In potentially difficult situations outside armed conflict, the winning country will be assessed by an independent security body to determine if it can safely host. If the winning member is ruled ineligible, the EBU will identify an alternative host broadcaster to assume all hosting responsibilities. The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Liverpool after Ukraine’s victory the previous year. At the time, the EBU cited Russia’s war as making it impossible to begin the 12 months of preparation needed to organise the show. The new rule changes also increase the minimum age for artists from 16 to 18. Viewership dropped from 160 million in 2025 to 130 million in 2026, despite financial and participation challenges. Eurovision is expanding with a spin-off in Bangkok and Canada joining the main contest as the first new participant since Australia in 2015.