In a statement, the union noted the continued objections to Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, against the backdrop of the genocidal war in Gaza.
He explained that with the announcement by 5 countries that they would boycott the competition, the federation decided not to organize the "European Tour," which was supposed to be one of the largest events planned for this year, and was to be organized after the competition in May.
Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said in a statement that they had made the difficult decision to cancel the European tour, adding that "despite all the efforts made by our team, producers and organizers, we faced unexpected challenges that we were unable to overcome."
Green stated that the work will focus on organizing the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled to take place next May in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
The European Broadcasting Union held its 90th and final General Meeting on December 4, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland.
During the meeting, and after Israel was allowed to participate in the Eurovision 2026 competition, the public broadcasting authorities in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia announced their withdrawal from the competition in protest against the decision.
