{"id":640053,"date":"2026-05-13T06:20:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T06:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/640053\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T06:20:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T06:20:13","slug":"inside-the-eurovision-song-contest-2026-as-israel-finland-advance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/640053\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 as Israel, Finland Advance"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tEurovision<\/a>\u2018s theme, \u201cUnited by Music<\/a>,\u201d has rarely sounded more ironic as Vienna gears up to host the kitschy song contest.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn a boiling day a week ago, the city\u2019s main stadium appeared more like a small military installation: new security cameras peered into the neighborhood \u2014 Vienna\u2019s poorest \u2014 as staffers in lanyards sat in fold-out chairs, guarding every conceivable entrance. Fencing featuring the titles of past Eurovision hits \u2014 Rise Like a Phoenix, Wasted Love \u2014 rose from concrete traffic barriers: half-advertisement, half-warning.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe concert hall, called Stadthalle, occupies a city block and is surrounded by residential buildings. It\u2019s in a neighborhood with paltry access to parks, and now the green space around the Stadthalle is being sequestered as well, depriving residents of 30,000 square meters of parkland<\/a> in the name of European unity. According to neighbors, Eurovision organizers are flying multiple drones over the stadium in the lead up to the event while unleashing dogs to ferret out potential explosives.<\/p>\n

\n\tStill, the vibe was conspicuously relaxed a mere block away, where locals at a restaurant were smoking copiously, drinking beer and listening to Top 40.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs a new resident of Vienna, I was curious about how the city would balance silly bonhomie and serious security concerns at this year\u2019s Eurovision, especially as Israel advances to the finals. Vienna is used to hosting major events, as well as protecting a sizable Jewish community; still, the world\u2019s largest annual live music event, now entangled in a major geopolitical conflict, requires more than a few hired guards.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAny large-scale major event will never be wholly immune from what\u2019s happening in the world around it,\u201d Martin Green, the director of Eurovision, told me. \u201cThankfully, we\u2019ve got brilliant people on it who know that having fun is serious business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTensions around security have already ratched up in recent days. \u201cWe won\u2019t let ourselves be terrorised into silence,\u201d Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig of the Social Democrats said angrily<\/a> to a group of pro-Palestinian protesters who blew whistles at a concert he was speaking at this past Friday.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cUnfortunately we will need large security measures because of people like you, for example. That will incur great expense, but we will nevertheless hold a festival of togetherness, I can promise you that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tLithuanian singer Lion Ceccah, representing Lithuania with the song \u201cSolo Quiero Mas,\u201d performs during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, on May 12. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGEORG HOCHMUTH\/APA\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tThis year, Vienna is deploying 500 private security personnel, 180 new cameras, counter-drones and sniffer dogs<\/a>, while teaming up with an FBI task force<\/a> in New York to monitor cyber threats. It\u2019s a dizzying security setup for a celebration better known for absurdist set pieces, ironic nationalism, and nonsensical lyrics. This year, the contenders include a UK musician who builds instruments out of Furby toys<\/a> and another whose entry is an ode to erotic asphyxiation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tOver 1,700 songs<\/a> have been performed on Eurovision\u2019s stage since the competition\u2019s inception\u2014 including by icons like ABBA and C\u00e9line Dion \u2014but as the festival has ballooned in size and scope, it has also become a political lightning rod.<\/p>\n

\n\tNow, five countries \u2014 Spain, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland and the Netherlands \u2014 have pulled out of the competition because of Israel\u2019s inclusion. It\u2019s being called the largest politically-motivated boycott in Eurovision history.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cEach country\u2019s boycott is politically significant given their connection to Eurovision,\u201d says Eurovision scholar Dean Vuletic. Spain has historically been one of the \u201cbig five\u201d countries, which automatically qualifies it for the grand finale, while the Netherlands has been part of the competition since the very start, and Ireland holds the record, along with Sweden, for most wins.<\/p>\n

\n\tThen there\u2019s Iceland, which may be tiny but is arguably the world\u2019s most Eurovision-obsessed nation \u2014 last year\u2019s finale captured a 97.8% viewing share<\/a>, meaning virtually every television in the country that was turned on was also tuned in.<\/p>\n

\n\tSlovenia, notably, is rooting its refusal to join the competition in its recent experience of war. Nataljia Gorscak, who runs Slovenia\u2019s national broadcasting organization, RTV Slovenija, told me that she believes Israel is misusing Eurovision to make a political statement about their victimization, which in her mind sets a dangerous precedent.<\/p>\n

\n\tInstead of Eurovision, Slovenia is set to air a documentary titled \u201cVoices of Palestine.\u201d It\u2019s an act of protest that recalls the time Israel was on its way to winning with the song \u201cA-Ba-Ni-Bi\u201d in 1978 and Jordanian television cut the broadcast and replaced it with pictures of flowers.<\/p>\n

\n\tGorscak says she doesn\u2019t mind if fewer people tune in to watch her alternative programming. \u201cOur role is to sometimes have less ratings but to have the content which is more appropriate for the situation we live in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n\t*****<\/p>\n

\n\tFounded on the majestic slopes of Lugano, Switzerland in 1956, Eurovision was originally a technical experiment, meant to test if one event could broadcast live to millions across the continent.<\/p>\n

\n\tAt the time, the European Broadcasting Union \u2014 which still runs the festival \u2014 was unconcerned with the \u201cpolitical standards\u201d of participating countries, says Vuletic. Spain joined the contest in 1961, while Portugal followed in 1964 \u2014 both still under authoritarian rule. Neither country\u2019s domestic politics raised objections from the EBU, which viewed the contest purely as a broadcasting exercise, not a method for political accountability.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut in 2022, the EBU broke its own precedent and barred Russia from competing after its invasion of Ukraine \u2014 a decision that is viewed as a precedent for those demanding Israel\u2019s exclusion.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhen the European Broadcasting Union excluded Russia, there was a context of international<\/a> sanctions that the European Broadcasting Union could draw on,\u201d says Vuletic. \u201cThe EBU doesn\u2019t have the same mandate to act politically against Israel in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tFinland\u2019s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen react after having been voted into the final after their performance in the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, on May 12. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGEORG HOCHMUTH\/APA\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tIsrael\u2019s inclusion has, in the past, created security challenges: in 1973, shortly after Israelis had been massacred at the Munich Olympics, the audience at Eurovision was instructed to stay seated throughout the show or risk being shot by security. Last year, in Basel, after Israel\u2019s participation drove mass protests, the Swiss Army was deployed to monitor for gas, poison or radiation threats.\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tBut Israel is far from the only country to have caused a security headache for Eurovision. When Azerbaijan hosted the contest in 2012, authorities said they foiled a series of terrorist attacks targeting the venue and hotels full of foreign tourists.<\/p>\n

\n\tRussia, meanwhile, has been a persistent source of disruption: in 2022, after Russia was banned from the contest over its invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin-linked hackers attempted to take down Eurovision\u2019s servers to prevent a Ukrainian victory.<\/p>\n

\n\tVienna is especially keen to avoid any incidents after a foiled terror attack planned for a Taylor Swift concert in 2024 knocked the city off the top of the Economist\u2019s world rankings for highest quality of life. Pulling off a smooth and safe Eurovision \u201cis about tourism, but it\u2019s also about Austria\u2019s international identity as a neutral and peaceful country,\u201d says Vuletic.<\/p>\n

\n\tAdding to the tension, the eve of the final, Friday, May 15, coincides with Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate the loss of their land after the 1948 war that established the modern state of Israel.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe expect there will in fact be blockades and disruptive actions, particularly on the day of the final, whether through authorized or unauthorized gatherings,\u201d Xenia Zauner,\u00a0 a senior police official who will oversee the security operation, told a press conference last week.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut Austrian politicians have made their stance clear over the past year: Israel must stay in the competition, no matter the associated security risks.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s unacceptable that we, of all people, should prohibit a Jewish artist from coming to Vienna,\u201d a senior representative from the ruling party, \u00d6VP, told a local news source last year. Other \u00d6VP officials said that Austria should refuse to even host Eurovision if Israel is excluded from the competition.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cFor many in Europe, the Holocaust, the memory of antisemitism, and the continued threats of antisemitism are reasons why they will support Israel even in contexts like the Gaza war or the current wars in Iran and Lebanon,\u201d says Vuletic.<\/p>\n

\n\t****\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tTo get a closer look at Eurovision\u2019s security apparatus, I decided to register with the festival as a member of the media, not knowing if I possessed the mental fortitude to actually attend the four-hour pyrotechnical finale. After uploading a passport and selfie, and submitting proof of my employment, the PDFs arrived in my inbox with a thud: over 110 pages on how to behave at the \u201cnon-political, international entertainment event.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tOne document was a code of conduct strictly forbidding behavior like sexual relations backstage, while another focused on cybercrime warned about the possibility of being extorted. (The cybersecurity hotline is staffed 24\/7, in case you have a 3AM hacking scare.)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tIsraeli singer Noam Bettan, representing Israel with the song \u201cMichelle,\u201d performs during the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, on May 12. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGEORG HOCHMUTH\/APA\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tThere was also a 27-page pamphlet on \u201cyouth protection and safeguarding\u201d which read like a well-intentioned handbook for new employees at an NGO.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe EBU, which runs Eurovision, is also desperate to apply a thick sheen of neutrality to the proceedings. Over the past few years, artists have been fined for any political utterance in the lead up to the festival; this year, Swedish artist Felicia was reprimanded for expressing her displeasure with Israel\u2019s participation, saying she decided to participate to \u201cmake sure [Israel] doesn\u2019t win.\u201d (Her delegation did not reply to emails for comment.)<\/p>\n

\n\tNaturally, accusations of censorship have also dogged the competition. Attendees of last year\u2019s competition claimed that boos directed toward Israel\u2019s chanteuse were drowned out by sound technicians. But ORF says the broadcaster will embrace cinema verit\u00e9 this year \u2014 boos and all.<\/p>\n

\n\tGreen told me that so-called \u201canti-booing\u201d technology has never been deployed by the festival. \u201cThe trouble with this conversation is that it\u2019s incredibly technical, right? And in some ways quite dull,\u201d he told me. \u201cWhen you have a live event, sound is processed in different ways to make sure that the experience for the audience watching on TV and online is as good as possible. That\u2019s been incorrectly construed as some kind of attempt to suppress certain audience reactions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t*****<\/p>\n

\n\tVienna\u2019s \u201cEurovision Village\u201d is located in a park outside Vienna\u2019s monumental, gothic-revival city hall. Before the festival, huge cranes were hoisting a stage into place while a construction worker played hacky sack by his lonesome.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Eurovision Village serves as a main public hub for fans throughout the competition, featuring daily live acts and public viewings. A sign affixed to a lamppost listed a gamut of prohibitions: no booze, no glue, no ladders, no drones, no \u201cNazi propaganda\u201d, no baby buggies and no backpacks.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tAustralia\u2019s Marty Joe Zambotto aka Go-Jo (right), who represented Australia in the 2025 ESC, and Austrian presenters Victoria Swarovski (left and Michael Ostrowski (center) perform a song on the differences between Austria and Australia during the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, on May 12. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGEORG HOCHMUTH\/APA\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\n\tReddit commenters are grumbling about the no-bag policy, though many seem to accept it as the price of a global festival in 2026. (One commenter recommended sewing giant pockets into your pants.) The ORF, Austria\u2019s National Broadcaster, has released a song discouraging concertgoers from bringing even a tiny bag\u2014\u201call you gotta bring is you, and a little attitude,\u201d the lyrics go.<\/p>\n

\n\tNaturally I forgot my press pass and tried to attend the opening ceremony at the Village with an e-ink notebook inside a little leather pouch, leading me to have a brief philosophical chat about the nature of bags with a security guard as concertgoers streamed past us.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cCan\u2019t bring that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThis is a bag?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt is. It\u2019s a bag.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhat about it is a bag? It\u2019s a case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe guard shrugged. \u201cIt just is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n\tJust as I\u2019d given up on convincing him, three police vans sped toward the Eurovision entrance, skillfully weaving around two massive trucks that had been placed in the center of Ringstrasse, which is the road that wraps itself around Vienna\u2019s historic core. The cars looked as if they were competing in an obstacle course for stunt doubles. My cortisol spiked.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen I\u2019d asked Green if I should expect Eurovision to feel politically intense, he\u2019d acted as if I didn\u2019t understand the spirit of the competition.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cConcertgoers aren\u2019t there to protest,\u201d he said. \u201cThey want to soak up the atmosphere, and they come really relaxed because they know, behind the scenes, there is a group of extremely brilliant people taking care of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe added: \u201cWe always say Eurovision shows the world as it could be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBut is this wishful thinking? Now that the competition is underway, we\u2019ll see if the world proves him right.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tGreek singer Akylas Mytilinaios, aka Akylas and representing Greece with the song \u201cFerto,\u201d performs during the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, on May 12. <\/p>\n

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