More than 1000 artists call on fans to boycott Eurovision in open letter

WorldPolitics
21 Apr 2026 • 6:53 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

More than 1000 artists call on fans to boycott Eurovision in open letter

  • Over 1,000 artists, including Paul Weller, Massive Attack, and Paloma Faith, have signed an open letter calling for a boycott of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
  • The campaign, organised by No Music for Genocide and the BDS movement, demands that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ban Israeli public broadcaster KAN from the competition.
  • Signatories state they refuse to be complicit in what they describe as Israel's 'genocide, siege and brutal military occupation against Palestinians'.
  • The EBU has consistently defended its decision to allow Israel to participate, despite banning Russia in 2022, and will not hold a further vote on Israel's 2026 involvement.
  • New rules for the 2026 contest will limit viewers to 10 votes, following accusations that the Israeli government encouraged citizens abroad to influence previous results.

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