Eurovision Song Contest 2026

I'd take the two semi-final format over the 2004-2007 one semi-final format any day. The mid-2000s were a pretty low time for the contest, partly because you countries sending an excellent song one year, scoring well and guaranteeing themselves a final spot for the following year, then they'd send a piece of rubbish the following year, while good songs were left behind in the semi-final. The introduction of a second semi-final in 2008 solved that.

There's no way the contest could go back to being a one-night event, unless there was a mass exodus.

What is a big problem for the contest, though (apart from the obvious one), is how bloated the grand final has become. It was 4 hours 10 minutes in Basel this year, which is far too long. We don't need four interval acts and an hour-long televoting window, not when you can vote all through the show. If you like a song and want to vote for it, you're going to do that after 10 minutes at most, not 58 minutes after the lines open. Appreciate it's a small issue for the EBU right now, but they need to get the show wrapped up sooner.

Eurovision 2026 has its first participant.

New rules implemented for next year in regards to voting…

Hmm…wonder which country this applies to.

🤔

I agree with the EBU for once, these are sensible rule changes and I'm especially glad to see the juries back in the semi-finals and jury size increased (should have been increased to 16 though.) However, as @yerwanthere123 has pointed out, the elephant in the room has been ignored.

Israel will be there in Vienna, now I just hope that the countries that said they'd boycott will stand strong and keep to their word.

EDIT: just to add, I've seen nothing about a reduced voting window, which is a shame. Viewers don't need an hour after the final song to vote, and they also don't need four intervals.

One would imagine that the EBU would be very reluctant to let this go to a vote. Even if Israel 'won' the vote, there would presumably be a considerable number voting to exclude them and the EBU wouldn't want people knowing how unpopular Israel and KAN are among the broadcasters.

I think a lot of countries who may have previously voted to kick out Israel, but would have been squeamish about doing so, will now hang their hat on the fact that there is officially a ceasefire in Gaza. They'll ignore the continuous breaking of that ceasefire by the IDF, the unchecked rampaging of settlers in the West Bank and the apartheid status of Palestinians in the occupied territories. Many countries don't want to kick them out and now they have a fig-leaf of peace to keep them in.

I'm a fan of the Eurovision but i hope that we don't enter. I'm not even going to say "If Israel get kicked out" because sadly they won't be kicked out.

Thing is, the genocide shouldn't even come into each country's deliberations about whether to vote Israel out or not. What should be the deciding factor is that Israel has manipulated the vote for the past two years and clearly broken the rules. Regardless of what they're doing in Palestine, they should be kicked out for that behaviour over the last two years.

The fact it's a secret ballot gives me some hope. Apparently, Israel wanted an open vote, no surprise there.

I'm sure by 6pm Slovenia will have confirmed it's out too. Hope RTÉ confirms shortly too.

I admit I had a little bit of hope an hour ago.

I'm confused. What happened to the secret vote?

I can't say I am surprised, probably the correct decision. Hopefully more join us in withdrawing.

Spain will likely have the biggest impact financially I would guess as they are one of the big 5?

Netherlands also withdrawing I would expect a few more.

I am sure Moroccan oil will step up and provide a few more bucks...

Spain, Ireland and Slovenia. What's with former fascistic Catholic countries and their dislike of Israel.