Eurovision announced new rules for organizing the contest: from the next edition, countries involved in armed conflicts or situations that compromise security and stability are prevented from hosting the festival, even if they win the competition.
© Christian Bruna/Getty Images
12/08/2026
by
O Eurovision Song Contest announced, this Wednesday, new rules regarding the organization of the event. From the next issue, if a country involved in an armed conflict wins the contest, it is unable to receive it the following year.
Traditionally, the winning Eurovision country automatically gains the right to organize the next edition.
However, now countries that are in “armed conflict, sensitive geopolitical situation or any other situation that materially affects the security, protection or stability of their immediate state or region” are prevented from being hosts.
The decision, the BBC explains, could be a response to Israel's participation in the competition and the results that the country of the Middle East has achieved.
This was the second consecutive year in which Israel was second in the contest and some participating stations will have expressed security concerns in private if the contest takes place in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, if the country wins in the future.
In addition to Israel, the change of rules also affects Ukraine, which has been involved in a war since the Russian invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra eventually won the contest that same year and, after the victory, a “complete assessment and feasibility study” was held to decide whether the 2023 contest could be held in Kyiv.
Later, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the British BBC state broadcaster revealed that the UK, which was in second place, would receive the festival due to uncertainties as to whether Ukraine would be able to host the event because of the Russian invasion.
It should be noted that this year the final of the 70th Festival Eurovision of the Song was played in Vienna with the participation of 25 countries and was marked by the boycott of five other countries – Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland – because of Israel.
The boycotts were due to Israel's military attacks on the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip since October 2023, which killed at least 72,000 people and were classified as genocide by an independent international research commission of the United Nations.