An unprecedented number of contestants in “Festival da Canção” declare they will refuse to represent the country if they win, protesting Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026.
During the past weekend, Portugal’s national broadcaster RTP announced that it had voted in favor of the new contest regulations and supported Israel’s participation during the General Assembly of the EBU. The broadcaster has since faced internal backlash from its employees over this decision. Now, 11 out of 16 songwriters participating in the Portuguese Eurovision preselection “Festival da Canção 2026” have jointly declared that they will refuse to represent Portugal at Eurovision following the decision that Israel will take part in Eurovision 2026. This stance was made possible by a newly added clause in the festival’s regulations stipulating that the local winner is not obligated to represent Portugal at Eurovision – a contrast to previous years.
In their joint statement, the eleven participating artists expressed unusually strong criticism of Israel, saying they reacted “with equal embarrassment” to the results of the General Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland. They also voiced deep frustration with the national broadcaster RTP for supporting Israel’s participation. The artists went further, comparing Israel’s military actions in Gaza to those of Russia in Ukraine, and strongly opposed Israel’s participation in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest.
Full list of artists signing the declaration:
- Bateu Matou
- Cristina Branco
- Djodje
- Evaya
- Francisco Fontes
- Gonçalo Gomes
- Inês Sousa
- Jacaréu
- Marquise
- Nunca Mates o Madarim
- Rita Dias
Among the signatories is the band Marquise, who had already announced last weekend their refusal to represent Portugal in the event of a victory. Now, ten additional contestants have joined their stance through a joint post published on Cristina Branco’s Instagram page.
The artists wrote in their statement:
“Together, in a coordinated stance between current and future creators and performers, we declare our refusal to participate in Eurovision 2026 if any of our songs wins ‘Festival da Canção’ in March next year”.
The signatories further added: “The country and the world are living through moments in which silence turns us into accomplices to tragedy.” They emphasized that they “cannot ignore violations of human rights” and that they feel “obliged to resist” on behalf of Portuguese culture and refuse to cooperate with the decisions being made.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
“Deslocado” (in English: “Displaced”) is the song that will be performed by NAPA band, representing Portugal in Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Portugal finished 21st with 50 points, ranked 19th in jury vote and 21st in public vote.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Portugal’s 57th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Portugal joined the competition in 1964 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2017 when singer Salvador Sobral won first place with the song “Amar pelos dois”.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
