A recent board meeting at the Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV has cast doubt on the country’s return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, with the majority of members recommending the continuation of their boycott.
At a board meeting discussing Iceland’s participation in Eurovision 2027, several board members recommended that the Icelandic national broadcaster not return to the competition and continue its boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest. In their reasoning, the opposing board members argued that the national broadcaster cannot change its stance as long as the issue of Israel’s participation in the contest has not been addressed. However, no official statement has been released by the Icelandic national broadcaster regarding the country’s future in the Eurovision Song Contest.
During the meeting, out of nine board members, six agreed that the national broadcaster should remain out of the Eurovision Song Contest for the upcoming year as well. In a Facebook post, board member Diljá Ámundadóttir Zoega wrote that the national broadcaster must inform the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that it will not participate in Eurovision 2027 unless Israel is banned from the competition, and she shared part of a message signed by the council members demanding the continued boycott.
Below is the excerpt from the Facebook post:
“…the undersigned board members urge the Director General to notify the EBU that the National Broadcasting Service will not participate in Eurovision in 2027 unless Israel is barred from the contest. The previous call for Israel to be excluded from the competition is reiterated, and a request is made for the Director General to convey this reiteration.”
Zoega herself frequently posts pro-Palestinian messages on her private Facebook account, making her opposition to Israel in the contest unsurprising. However, the majority of the board’s decision to demand the national broadcaster continue the boycott comes as the broader movement against Israel’s participation appears to be dissolving. With the Netherlands choosing to return to the competition, Belgium avoiding a boycott, and even Slovenia considering a return – noting that Israel is not a factor in their decision, Iceland’s continued boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest remains an outlier.
The possibility of Iceland returning to the Eurovision Song Contest still exists, but the anti-Israel stance of the Icelandic national broadcaster, as well as bitter relations with the Icelandic government, complicate the country’s chances of returning. Should they choose to boycott the contest, Iceland will join Ireland, which has already announced it will not return for Eurovision 2027.
The Icelandic Boycott Against Israel
The background to the board meeting follows Iceland’s prominence during 2025 as one of the countries that spoke out harshly against Israel’s participation in Eurovision. As previously reported, RÚV clarified its position that Israel should not be part of the Vienna contest and even threatened to withdraw if their participation was approved. Ultimately, Iceland withdrew from Eurovision 2026.
The official withdrawal notice stated: “In light of the public debate in Iceland and the reactions to the EBU’s decision last week, it is clear that neither joy nor peace will prevail around RÚV’s participation in Eurovision. Therefore, RÚV concludes that it must notify the EBU today that it will not participate in Eurovision next year.”
The withdrawal announcement gained significant public support after protests in Iceland intensified that day, with dozens demonstrating outside the national broadcaster’s offices calling for RÚV to boycott the competition. The withdrawal statement clarified that cultural figures in Iceland, including artists’ organizations and the general public, oppose participation in the contest and refuse to take part alongside Israel.
The statement further read: “The song contest and Iceland’s participation in Eurovision have always been intended to unite the Icelandic public – but now it is clear that this goal is unattainable, and therefore the decision was made for content reasons.”
Iceland is considered one of the nations with the highest Eurovision viewing figures – boasting over 95% ratings every year – making the withdrawal particularly dramatic.
Is There Still Hope?
At the same time, the new rules reform for the Eurovision Song Contest, particularly the strengthening of the juries’ weight in the semi-finals, was received positively by the national broadcaster. Director General Stefán Eiríksson stated: “This is clearly a step in the right direction.” Additionally, the EBU announced that the televote would undergo a significant change to distribute votes more widely, preventing viewers from voting for only one country and requiring them to vote for at least three nations.
Another point that may offer cautious hope regarding Iceland’s return is that despite not participating in the contest, RÚV continued to broadcast the coveted competition as usual. Will Iceland make its way back to Eurovision 2027? As of right now, fans can only wait and see.
Eurovision 2026: Iceland did not participate in Eurovision 2026. Iceland joined the competition in 1986 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 1999 and Eurovision 2009 after finishing second twice.
