Iceland’s RÚV confirms its Eurovision 2027 withdrawal over the Israeli participation, while leaving open the possibility of a late change before December.
Iceland has announced its intention to boycott Eurovision 2027 over Israel’s participation, after six of the nine members of the Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV’s board agreed that the country should stay out of the competition next year. However, in its announcement, RÚV left the door open to a possible return and also provided information about the status of the two other countries that have yet to confirm their participation: Spain and Slovenia.
RÚV’s brief statement read: “The deadline for confirming participation in Eurovision 2027 has passed, but the European Broadcasting Union has reserved the right to approve later participation for Spain, Slovenia and Iceland. The three countries have not confirmed their participation and, as of today, none of them will take part in the competition. The Director General of the Spanish national broadcaster has requested that the station not participate. The national broadcasters in Iceland, Spain and Slovenia are members of the European Broadcasting Union who have expressed their opposition to Israel’s participation in the competition. The Dutch national broadcaster NPO has also announced that it will not participate, and the Irish national broadcaster has announced that it will not participate if Israel does.”
In other words, Iceland was also given the opportunity to confirm its participation in Eurovision by December. For now, it is indeed out, but each of the three countries could still change its mind before then. At present, Slovenia appears to be the only country that could return and bring the participant lineup to 37. Following a change of government, Slovenia is no longer expected to support a boycott of Israel.
During the meeting held earlier, 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.”
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.
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.
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Ofek Jerassi is an Israeli reporter, editor, content creator, and commentator, specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has developed his extensive expertise since childhood, becoming a close follower of the contest. For the past three years, he has served as a writer and editor for EuroMix—Israel’s largest Eurovision website and one of the world’s leading platforms in the field, with over 1.5 million users annually.
Ofek covered Eurovision 2025 on-site in Basel from the press center in the host city, providing EuroMix readers with firsthand experiences, professional analysis, and exclusive reactions from the audience, artists, and experts. His in-depth knowledge and broad familiarity with the Eurovision world are evident in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
In his personal life, Ofek is a medic and avid traveler. He writes out of a genuine love for Eurovision, placing strong emphasis on credibility, professional commentary, and presenting a diverse range of opinions.
