Eurovision organizers promise not to muffle booing during Israel's performance

The Austrian television company ORF, which will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026, will not prohibit the display of the Palestinian flag to the audience and will not muffle booing during Israel's performance, as it happened at previous shows. This was reported by the agency Reuters with reference to the organizers of the competition.

The 70th edition of the competition, to be held in May, will feature only 35 entries, the fewest since 2003, after five national broadcasters, including Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands, announced they would boycott the show in protest of Israel's participation.

Those boycotting say it would be unacceptable to participate given the number of civilians killed in Gaza as part of Israel's retaliation for the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

"We will allow all the official flags that exist in the world, as long as they comply with the law and have a certain form – size, security risks, etc.," said Michael Kroen, the show's executive producer, at a briefing organized by ORF.

He added that "we will not embellish anything or avoid showing what is happening, because our task is to show things as they are."

The TV presenter will not drown out the sound of any whistling from the crowd, as happened this year during Israel's performance, said ORF program director Stephanie Groyss-Horowitz.

"We will not organize artificial applause for this at any time," she said.

Israel's 2025 participant Yuval Raphael was at the Nova music festival, which was targeted by Hamas. The CEO of the Israeli broadcaster KAN compared efforts to exclude Israel in 2026 to a form of "cultural boycott."

The ORF and the Austrian government have been among the biggest supporters of Israel's participation, despite the objections of countries such as Iceland and Slovenia, which will also boycott the next competition in protest. ORF Director General Roland Weismann visited Israel in November to express his support.

• In the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 was won by the Austrian singer JJ with the song Wasted Love, the Ukrainian band Ziferblat took ninth place. Israel was in second place.
• After the performance of Israeli representative at the Eurovision Song Contest, Yuval Raphael, two people tried to break through to the stage. They were detained, but one of the offenders threw paint in her direction, which hit a member of the contest crew.