Eurovision 2026 in Vienna Faces Boycotts, Security Threats, and Voting Controversy
Where things stand
Updated May 9, 10:53 AMThe 70th Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Vienna. A total of 35 countries are participating this year. The semi-finals are scheduled for Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 May at 8 p.m. UK time. Bomb-sniffing dogs are being used to guarantee security at the event.
Open questions
- Which countries have officially boycotted the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna?
- What were the contents of the promotional videos posted by Israel's representative Noam Bettan?
- Has the Israeli delegation complied with the request to remove the videos?
- What specific security threats have been identified beyond the use of bomb-sniffing dogs?
- How many countries are actually participating after reported boycotts?
Key actors
What's corroborated
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Vienna.
3 sourcesacross 2 articlesThe EBU quickly demanded the video be taken down.
2 sourcesAnother criticism of Israel in the Eurovision context has been the extensive marketing campaigns for votes in connection with the competition.
2 sourcesSpain is boycotting Eurovision over Israel's continued involvement.
2 sourcesacross 1 articleThe reason is promotional videos on social media that appeared on Friday, where Israel's representative Noam Bettan urges countries to vote for them in several languages.
2 sourcesacross 1 article
Timeline9
2026-05-09: Multiple major media outlets confirm Eurovision's formal warning to Israel over Noam Bettan's vote-seeking videos, reinforcing earlier reports.
2026-05-09: Eurovision warns Israel over Noam Bettan's vote-seeking videos, days before the competition.
2026-05-07: An Israeli association campaigns for votes ahead of Eurovision, urging supporters to vote 20 times.
2026-05-07: Security experts warn of cyberattacks, disinformation, and physical violence threats against Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, amid record-low participation of 35 countries.
2026-05-06: Vienna deploys a dedicated 24/7 security task force for Eurovision amid terror and protest fears, reinforcing existing measures.