Italy’s RAI confirms support for Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, highlighting unity among major “Big 5” nations behind the contest’s inclusive vision
The EBU held a decisive vote last Thursday on regulatory changes to the Eurovision Song Contest, aimed among other things at giving juries more influence during the semi-finals. If those changes had not passed, another vote would have been held regarding Israel’s participation in the contest.
The changes were approved in Thursday’s vote, securing Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026. In response, Italy’s national broadcaster RAI released an official statement on Friday expressing support for Israel’s participation, alongside the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation KAN.
RAI added that, as part of the “Big 5”, it felt it was right to support this decision, emphasizing that “Eurovision unites diverse cultures in a shared celebration, and we remain committed to the contest as a means of promoting our culture worldwide”.
Italy’s key role in the EBU vote
The revelation of Italy’s involvement in Thursday’s decision highlights the power dynamics that helped secure the strong majority in favor of Israel. Following Germany and France – both major financiers – along with host country Austria, Italy was also among the decisive forces behind Israel’s confirmed participation in Eurovision 2026.
The impact on Spain and the overall balance
This coalition effectively left Spain and its allies with little chance to dominate the narrative or achieve majority control. The outcome underscored how unified backing from key European broadcasters shaped the final result and ensured the competition’s inclusivity moving forward.
Italy at Eurovision 2025
“Volevo essere un duro” (in English: “I Wanted to Be Tough”) is the song performed by singer Lucio Corsi, which came second at the 75th edition of the Sanremo Festival. The song was written by the singer himself along with Tommaso Ottomano. This was the singer’s first-ever appearance at the festival. The song is performed in Italian. The song finished fifth in the grand final with 256 points.
Italy returns to the Eurovision Grand Final Top 5 after last year achieving “only” seventh place.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Italy’s 51st participation in Eurovision. Italy joined the contest in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won three times over the years. Italy’s most recent victory was at Eurovision 2021 with the song “Zitti e buoni” performed by the band Måneskin.
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Maor Heumann has been writing about the Eurovision Song Contest and following it for over three decades. He has attended five contests and has found something to appreciate in almost every possible musical genre — from the sugary pop entries that finish last in the semi-finals to the quirky avant-garde pieces that even the competition’s juries struggled to connect with. He usually prefers original languages and songs with depth over Swedish-produced English clones — though he doesn’t promise to stick to that rule.
He grew up on the kibbutz of Sara’le Sharon, who instilled in him a love for music and created his first connection to the contest back in 1993 — before most of the current editorial team was even born.
