Kneecap Among 1,100 Artists Urging Eurovision Boycott Over Israel’s Participation More than 1,100 musicians and cultural workers have signed an open letter calling for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in protest of Israel’s participation, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza and accusing the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) of hypocrisy for banning Russia in 2022 while allowing Israel to compete. The letter, coordinated by the campaign group No Music For Genocide (NMFG), includes high-profile artists such as Massive Attack, Paloma Faith, Paul Weller, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and Macklemore. Irish rap trio Kneecap and folk group The Mary Wallopers are among the signatories, continuing their history of politically driven activism. Kneecap stated that while Russia was banned from Eurovision following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Israel has been “murdering Palestinians for decades and is now committing genocide” yet remains welcomed back to the contest for the third consecutive year. The group emphasized that they have faced consequences for speaking out—including lost gigs, court cases, and visa bans—but would “do it all again tomorrow.” The letter accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza and argues that Eurovision should not “whitewash and normalise” the actions of the Israeli state. It calls on the EBU to ban KAN, Israel’s public broadcasting corporation, from participating in the contest, echoing the decision made regarding Russia’s broadcaster after the invasion of Ukraine. Several countries have already withdrawn or announced plans not to broadcast the contest. Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Spain have followed the lead of their national broadcasters in pulling out of Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s inclusion. Slovenia has opted to air films about Palestine instead of the song contest, while Ireland’s public broadcaster confirmed it will not air the event. NMFG urged public broadcasters, performers, screening party organizers, crew, and fans to refuse participation in or platforming Eurovision until Israel is banned from the competition. The campaign stresses that those who signed the letter “refuse to be silent” in the face of what they describe as complicity in ongoing violence against Palestinians. Supporters of the boycott argue that allowing Israel to participate while excluding Russia sends a contradictory message about the EBU’s commitment to human rights and international law. Critics, however, maintain that Eurovision should remain apolitical and that cultural boycotts undermine the contest’s purpose of unity through music. As the debate intensifies ahead of the 2026 contest, the artist-led boycott reflects growing pressure on cultural institutions to take stances on geopolitical conflicts, particularly those involving allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.
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