Amid boycott threats over Israel’s participation, Slovenia’s draft annual programming plan suggests its national broadcaster RTVSLO will not broadcast or compete in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. Is Slovenia leaving for good?
Although no official announcement has been made, signs indicate that Slovenia will neither broadcast nor participate in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna.
A draft of the annual Production and Programming Plan (PPN) shows that Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV SLO does not intend to air the Contest. If approved by the broadcaster’s council on November 26th, Slovenia’s withdrawal from Eurovision 2026 will become final.
What’s Behind the Decision?
The draft outlines two main reasons for opting out of participation and coverage:
First, RTVSLO declares 2026 as a “Year of Sports”, explaining that large-scale events such as the Winter Olympics in Italy and the FIFA World Cup require significant resource allocation. Consequently, the network plans to reduce entertainment programming, making Eurovision participation financially and logistically unfeasible.
In addition to budgetary concerns, the document also explicitly references political considerations, stating that Slovenia will not participate if Israel remains in the Contest. The phrasing implies that Israel’s presence continues to be a decisive factor, with the draft suggesting that if “Israel wins” in Vienna, Slovenia may also skip Eurovision 2027.
Cooperation with the EBU Continues
Despite this development, RTVSLO will maintain its collaboration with the EBU in other areas – including news, special events, and cultural programming. EBU experts will continue to contribute to Slovenian productions, while RTV SLO staff will remain active in EBU committees throughout 2026.
All indications suggest that RTV SLO considers Israel’s participation a certainty, with no expectations of surprises at the upcoming EBU General Assembly in Geneva on December 4th–5th. It is widely expected that Slovenia’s withdrawal from the 70th Eurovision Song Contest will be officially confirmed during that meeting.
Slovenia at Eurovision 2025
“How Much Time Do We Have Left” is the title of the song performed by singer Klemen in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025. Slovenia failed to qualify for the grand final, after two consecutive years of success. The country finished 13th out of 15, earning only 23 points.
Eurovision 2025: This was Slovenia’s 30th participation in Eurovision. Slovenia joined the competition in 1993 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 1995 and Eurovision 2001 after finishing seventh twice.
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Neta Geffen is a respected journalist at Euromix, Israel’s leading news site for Eurovision coverage. Since 2010, Neta has been closely following the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing with him extensive experience, profound knowledge, and a broad understanding of the history, politics, and cultural influences that shape the event every year.
Neta publishes articles, analyses, and up-to-date reviews on all Eurovision developments, including musical trends, format changes, political influences, and audience reactions across Europe and Israel. Thanks to a deep connection to the contest’s history, Neta provides readers with wide-ranging context—from the impact of political events on results, to in-depth analyses of songs and languages within the competition. Neta specializes particularly in the Eurovision rock genre, Balkan ballads, and native language entries, with a special focus on Italian and Greek songs.
