The situation has been brewing for years, with a group of participating countries seeking Israel’s exclusion over its war in Gaza and accusations of unfair voting practices, the BBC reported on Friday.
And the EBU said in an earlier statement that member states, including the BBC, had voted to decide whether they were satisfied with the new measures. It added: “The majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest should go ahead as planned.”
The speed with which the boycotting countries subsequently issued press releases suggests they anticipated the outcome in advance, writes music correspondent Mark Savage.
A number of broadcasters, including Norway, Denmark, Germany and the UK’s BBC, have indicated they will not join those withdrawing from the competition. Others have not been decided yet.
MNA