After previously confirming its participation, Belgium is reconsidering its involvement in Eurovision 2026, citing Israel’s participation and demands for changes to the contest’s rules.

Is Belgium Participating in Eurovision 2026? As of now, the answer remains unclear. The Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster RTBF, expected to select Belgium’s representative for Eurovision 2026, has announced that a decision regarding participation has not yet been made. This announcement comes despite RTBF previously confirming Belgium’s entry in the upcoming contest.

Belgium’s Withdrawal Threats?

The uncertainty regarding Belgium’s participation in Eurovision 2026 stems from the stance of local national broadcasters towards Israel’s involvement in the contest. Over the past year, Israel’s participation has sparked controversy, particularly concerning the public voting—where Israel ranked first—and allegations of political bias. Several countries, including Belgium, are now reconsidering their participation.

In recent months, public criticism of Israel’s participation has intensified. Notably, before the broadcast of the first semi-final, the socialist public sector union of VRT, ACOD, in collaboration with the Belgian national broadcaster, screened Oxfam’s campaign video “Speak Up For Palestine” as a protest against Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision 2025, in direct violation of contest rules. The video also featured various celebrities expressing opposition to the violence in the Gaza Strip.

Calls for Voting Reform and Investigation

Alongside the broadcasters’ positions, the Flemish ruling party “Vooruit” has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the voting mechanism. According to them, the significant discrepancy between public and jury votes—especially in Israel’s case—warrants a thorough review of the system.

Parliament member Katia Segers sharply criticized the Eurovision voting model: “A system where each person can vote up to 20 times is a system that encourages manipulation. It is necessary to examine whether such manipulation occurred in our country and in others—both participating and non-participating. VRT must initiate this investigation and lead the discussion on the voting method and Israel’s participation.”

RTBF has expressed its willingness to cooperate with changes to the voting system and to make adjustments if required: “We are available for joint work, and if necessary—to adapt to improvements and changes in the competition format,” the national broadcaster stated in an official announcement.

Belgium: Confirmed Participation in Eurovision 2026, Then Reversed

On July 7, Michael De Lil, head of the Belgian Eurovision delegation, confirmed to escspot.pl that Belgium would participate in Eurovision 2026. However, RTBF has since told the Belga news agency that despite earlier reports, official confirmation has not yet been granted. According to a network spokesperson, discussions are ongoing between RTBF and VRT within the European Broadcasting Union following the recent contest.

Nevertheless, RTBF does not deny that preparations to select Belgium’s representative are already underway to meet the Eurovision timeline should participation proceed. “To prepare for the possibility of participating in 2026, production teams are working to identify a potential candidate to represent Belgium,” a spokesperson stated.

Belgium’s Eurovision Challenges

Belgium has yet to announce how it will select its representative for Eurovision 2026, but every method chosen so far has faced criticism. When a local pre-selection was held, Belgium failed to qualify for the Eurovision 2025 final with the song “Strobe Lights” performed by Red Sebastian. Similarly, when an internal selection was used, Belgium also failed to reach the final—Mustii’s “Before The Party’s Over” ended before it began.

Despite being one of the seven founding countries of the contest, Belgium is not considered a top performer in Eurovision. Out of 66 participations, Belgium has won only once, and this year marks 40 years since Sandra Kim’s historic victory with the song “J’aime La Vie.”

Over the years, Belgium has managed to reach the top five only eight times: once in first place, twice in second, four times in fourth, and once in fifth. Additionally, Belgium has finished between sixth and tenth place sixteen times.