Eurovision updates voting and promotion rules following concerns over Israel’s participation

The Eurovision Song Contest has announced changes to its voting and promotion rules after concerns arose over Israel’s results in the 2025 competition. Israel received the highest public vote in May but finished second overall after jury votes were added. In response, the contest will reduce the number of public votes from 20 to 10 per person and reintroduce juries for the semi-finals to ensure musical quality and diversity. Additionally, contestants and broadcasters will be prohibited from engaging in promotional campaigns led by third parties, including governments, following reports that Israeli state agencies promoted their entry through advertisements and social media. Eurovision director Martin Green emphasized that these measures aim to maintain neutrality and prevent the contest from being influenced by external political forces. The new rules also include enhanced technical monitoring to detect fraudulent voting activity. Some countries, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands, have expressed potential boycotts if Israel participates, though Green stressed that broadcasters and artists, not governments, are responsible for participation. The 70th Eurovision Song Contest final will take place on 16 May 2026 at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, which has hosted the contest twice before. These changes aim to preserve the contest as a fair and impartial celebration of music.