Spain: Around 900 Songs Submitted for Benidorm Fest 2026!

Spain: Around 900 Songs Submitted for Benidorm Fest 2026!

by Maor Heumann Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 870 songs were submitted to RTVE for Benidorm Fest 2026, which will take place on February 14th RTVE closed on Wednesday the submission window for entries to Benidorm Fest 2026, the Spanish Eurovision pre-selection. According to the national broadcaster, around 900 songs were received, nearly 350 of them within the final 24 hours. This marks a lower number compared to last year, when approximately 1,000 songs were submitted, but still higher than the 825 entries received in 2024. Rising Popularity and Audience Success The overwhelming success of Benidorm Fest 2025 has clearly influenced the interest in the next edition. The number of submissions for Benidorm Fest 2026 remains impressively high due to the competition’s rapidly growing public appeal. The 2025 final, which topped television ratings throughout the week, was a massive success with a 17.1% viewing share and around 1,938,000 viewers. That made it the second most-watched edition in the festival’s history. At peak broadcast moments, nearly 5 million people...
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United Kingdom: 82% of The Citizens Want Israel Out of Eurovision 2026

United Kingdom: 82% of The Citizens Want Israel Out of Eurovision 2026

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Although it is not yet clear how the British national broadcaster BBC will vote in November on Israel’s participation in Eurovision, a new poll claims: most citizens want Israel expelled from the contest. In a newly published poll conducted in the United Kingdom, the public was asked: should Israel be expelled from Eurovision 2026? This comes despite the fact that the British national broadcaster, the BBC, has not yet taken a definitive position on the matter. According to the results, a significant majority opposes Israel’s continued participation. A total of 1,093 respondents - including casual viewers and Eurovision fans - were surveyed. They were also asked to compare Israel’s situation to the exclusion of Russia in 2022. The findings are presented below. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "Expelling Russia, But Not Israel Was Inconsistent" The press release issued by the polling institute Find Out Now stated: “A dramatic poll has found that an overwhelming majority of the British...
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Austria’s ORF CEO: Full Support for Israel’s Participation in Eurovision

Austria’s ORF CEO: Full Support for Israel’s Participation in Eurovision

by Noy Yehoyada Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Austria, the host country of Eurovision 2026, declares strong support for Israel against boycott threats, ahead of November’s decisive vote. The diplomatic battle over Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 has taken a dramatic turn with an unprecedented statement from one of the key stakeholders: the host country. In an interview with the local press, Roland Weißmann, CEO of Austrian broadcaster ORF, put an end to speculation and made it unequivocally clear that the national broadcaster fully supports the participation of Israel’s broadcaster "KAN" in the contest, which will be held in Vienna. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "Support Arises from Austria’s History" In an interview with Austrian newspaper Krone, when asked directly about growing boycott threats from other countries and broadcasters (such as the BBC), Weißmann did not hesitate. He revealed that his stance has been presented for months in various European Broadcasting Union (EBU) forums, and declared without reservation: “As I have represented in the EBU for months, and...
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He’s Back: Cesár Sampson Will Help Select Austria’s Entry for Eurovision 2026

He’s Back: Cesár Sampson Will Help Select Austria’s Entry for Eurovision 2026

by Neta Geffen Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Cesár Sampson joins the team selecting participants for the 2026 Austrian national selection. what kind of songs is he looking for? Austria is preparing to host Eurovision 2026 in Vienna: the Austrian national broadcaster ORF will hold, for the first time in a decade, an open national final to determine the country’s entry for the contest. The broadcaster has enlisted Cesár Sampson to assist with the complex mission of finding participants for “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich” (in English: Vienna Calling – Who Will Sing for Austria?), from which one act will earn the honor of representing Austria on home soil in Vienna. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Cesár Sampson Will Choose Austria’s National Selection Participants Cesár Sampson, who represented Austria in Eurovision 2018 and secured third place with "Nobody But You", revealed in an interview with Austrian station Ö3 that he will help select the songs competing for the right to represent...
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Is Spain Spreading Lies to Eliminate Israel from Eurovision? Portugal Strikes Back

Is Spain Spreading Lies to Eliminate Israel from Eurovision? Portugal Strikes Back

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Eurovision 2026 unfolds as a political drama: Portugal challenges Spain amid a media storm centered on Israel’s contested participation. Over the past two days, European news outlets have been abuzz with one question: will Portugal join the wave of countries threatening to boycott Eurovision 2026 if Israel remains in the contest? Today, Portugal provided a clear answer. But why did the suggestion of Israel’s expulsion spark friction between the Portuguese and Spanish national broadcasters, with Portugal dismissing Spain’s report as lies? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Yesterday, Spanish national broadcaster RTVE reported that Portugal was considering joining a boycott of Eurovision 2026 if Israel is allowed to remain in the competition. According to the report, Spain had already made clear it will withdraw for certain if Israel participates - joining other nations like Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. RTVE also hinted that Belgium might adopt a similar line, although this has not been officially declared. The claim was broadcast at...
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Slovenia Escalates: If Israel Participates In Eurovision 2026 – We’re Out

Slovenia Escalates: If Israel Participates In Eurovision 2026 – We’re Out

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); With another furing declaration: Slovenia, which had already threatened to withdraw if Israel participates, has now officially turned it into a condition – if Israel is in, Slovenia is out. The Slovenian national broadcaster RTVSLO announced this morning (Saturday) that if Israel competes in Eurovision 2026, Slovenia will withdraw entirely. Led by director general Ksenija Horvat, the broadcaster has been one of the most prominent voices in Europe pushing anti-Israeli positions. In the past, its rhetoric has even bordered on antisemitism - an approach that resurfaces once again here. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “Israel Conflicts with the Values of the Contest” As early as July, during a conference in London, representatives of the Slovenian national broadcaster declared: “If Israel participates in the Eurovision Song Contest – due to the genocide in Gaza’– Slovenia will not take part in the event”. The broadcaster’s official statement today has now made that position binding. This reflects the broadcaster’s consistent policy. Already back in 2024, its...
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A Ray of Light: Sweden Will Not Boycott Eurovision Even if Israel Participates

A Ray of Light: Sweden Will Not Boycott Eurovision Even if Israel Participates

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Yesterday it was announced that the EBU decided to move forward the vote on Israel's participation in Eurovision 2026 to November. At the same time, did Sweden expressed support for Israel's inclusion? In days when the future of Israel’s participation in Eurovision remains uncertain, every international statement becomes either a wave of hope or fear. Yesterday, it was announced that the EBU decided to move up the general assembly that will determine whether Israel will remain part of Europe’s biggest stage – Eurovision 2026, set to take place in Vienna, Austria. While many Israeli fans wonder whether this will be the year the country competes or is excluded from the historic contest, Sweden – one of the nations most closely identified with Eurovision culture – made a significant declaration: it will not boycott the competition, even if Israel remains in. Is this a hint at the atmosphere that awaits during the decisive assembly? Or just a temporary consolation for fans...
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Florian Wieder Will Design the Eurovision Stage Once Again in 2026!

Florian Wieder Will Design the Eurovision Stage Once Again in 2026!

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Austrian national broadcaster ORF announced that German-Jewish designer Florian Wieder will continue shaping Eurovision in 2026, completing three consecutive years as the main stage designer. The German-Jewish designer Florian Wieder, considered one of the world’s leading stage designers, has created dozens of stages for major ceremonies and television programs worldwide. His projects include X Factor, American Idol, the MTV Awards, and no fewer than nine Eurovision stages to date (among them Eurovision 2019 in Israel and Eurovision 2020, which was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). It has now been confirmed that he will return for a tenth time to design the stage of Eurovision 2026. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); When asked about his previous Eurovision stage designs, Wieder explained: “In order to decide who designs the Eurovision stage, there are sometimes tenders, but sometimes specific people are invited for the role. Eurovision is an enormous event in scale and significance, and occasionally the decision...
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Political Explosion at Eurovision: Did Spanish Pressure Lead to an Early Vote on Israel?

Political Explosion at Eurovision: Did Spanish Pressure Lead to an Early Vote on Israel?

by Maor Heumann Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Spanish national broadcaster’s president criticized the EBU and Israel, sparking speculation that Spain’s budgetary and political pressure accelerated the vote on Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 Just hours before the official announcement that the EBU would advance the vote on Israel’s potential exclusion from Eurovision 2026 from December to November, the president of the Spanish national broadcaster RTVE, Jose Pablo Lopez Sanchez, lashed out at the handling of the crisis by the EBU. The question arises whether RTVE’s strong stance contributed to the sudden decision to accelerate the process. Did a clash occur between RTVE and the EBU, fueled also by budgetary concerns, with Spain’s central role in financing the major event influencing the timing of the vote? Appearing yesterday before the Spanish Parliament’s supervisory committee on public broadcasting, Lopez Sanchez openly criticized the EBU and Israel, stating: ""It was time to break the silence within the EBU regarding the genocide in Gaza. The damage that the...
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Fatal Step: The Vote on Israel’s Eurovision Participation Moved Forward to November

Fatal Step: The Vote on Israel’s Eurovision Participation Moved Forward to November

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The EBU announced that the vote on Israel’s participation in Eurovision will take place in early November, focusing only on Eurovision 2026 participation, not on KAN’s EBU membership. In light of growing calls to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest, it was revealed today (Thursday) that the vote on Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, set to take place in Vienna, Austria, has been moved forward to November. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In a letter signed by Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, President of the EBU, and sent to union members, it was stated that during an executive board meeting attended also by former Vice President Petr Dvořák, the current positions of member states regarding the Israeli national broadcaster “KAN” were presented. The EBU emphasized that there exists “an unprecedented range of opinions” on the matter, which has prevented consensus from being reached. It was further highlighted that the organization upholds freedom of expression and open cultural dialogue. Therefore, a...
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