Eurovision song contest opens in Vienna amid Gaza tensions

The 70th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off in Vienna on Tuesday under a cloud of political tension, overshadowed by Israel’s participation amid the ongoing Gaza war. Five countries – Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia – boycotted the event in protest, resulting in the smallest field of contestants (just 35) since 2003 and the likelihood of sharply lower viewership than the 166 million who tuned in last year.

The contest, long marketed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as a glittering, apolitical celebration of pop music and European unity, has repeatedly become a stage for geopolitical drama. Its official rules are clear: participating broadcasters and performers are barred from promoting anything “of a political, commercial or similar nature.” Lyrics, speeches, gestures or staging that could be interpreted as politicising the event or bringing it into disrepute are prohibited. Songs must be original, no longer than three minutes, and performed live. Yet enforcement has often proved inconsistent, with the EBU interpreting the “no politics” rule through the lens of context, public mood and diplomatic pressure.

Rules can be bent…

A textbook example came in 2016, when Ukraine’s Jamala (Susana Jamaladinova), a Crimean Tatar singer, won the contest with her haunting ballad “1944.” The song told the story of Stalin’s mass deportation of Crimean Tatars during World War II – an event that killed tens of thousands – and included lyrics such as “When strangers are coming… they come in violence… they take your family.” Many interpreted it as a direct rebuke to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Moscow furiously protested, yet the EBU ruled the entry was a “personal and historical reflection” rather than a political statement, allowing it to compete and ultimately triumph. The decision highlighted how the rules can be bent when the message aligns with prevailing European sentiment.

Similar flexibility – or selective strictness – has appeared elsewhere. In 2009, Georgia was forced to withdraw after its entry “We Don’t Wanna Put In” was deemed an obvious swipe at Vladimir Putin and the Russo-Georgian war. Belarus was excluded in 2021 over politically charged songs. Russia itself was banned from 2022 onward following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the EBU citing the need to protect the contest’s “core values.” Israel’s own 2024 entry had to be rewritten after lyrics were judged to reference the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks. Voting patterns, too, have long been scrutinised for bloc-style political favouritism rather than pure musical merit.

This year’s controversy centres on Israel’s continued presence. Israel’s contestant, Noam Bettan, performs the song “Michelle” and has already received an official warning for posting social-media videos urging fans to cast the maximum 10 votes for her. Last year’s Israeli entry, performed by 7 October survivor Yuval Raphael, finished second largely on the strength of public televoting.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned throughout the week in Vienna, with organisers expecting around 500 protesters on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the first semi-final (which includes Israel) and up to 3,000 at peak moments. Austrian authorities have deployed heavy security, prompting criticism from rights groups. Vienna’s Social Democrat mayor, Michael Ludwig, told protesters: “We won’t let ourselves be terrorised into silence… Unfortunately we will need large security measures because of people like you… That will incur great expense, but we will nevertheless hold a festival of togetherness, I can promise you that.”

A joint head of Amnesty International Austria, Shoura Hashemi, called the mayor’s remarks “unbearable, false [and] divisive,” urging an apology to peaceful demonstrators. Ireland’s broadcaster RTÉ had earlier declared participation “unconscionable.” Contest director Martin Green expressed regret over the absences, saying of the boycotting countries: “They are members of our family, right? We miss them… We remain in dialogue to see if we can find pathways for them back.”

The backdrop to the opening night is grim: more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, while Israel’s military response has killed over 72,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, and left Gaza in ruins.

Organisers insist the show must go on as a beacon of cultural exchange. Yet as the first notes ring out in Vienna, Eurovision once again finds itself proving what its own history has repeatedly shown: the line between music and politics is thinner – and more flexibly enforced – than the rulebook suggests.

Caption: Artists perform during the dress rehearsals for the first semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Vienna, Austria, 11 May 2026. The first semi-final of the ESC 2026 is scheduled for 12 May. EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE