Slovenian broadcaster RTV confirmed on Thursday it would implement a broadcasting blackout of Eurovision and instead show a series of films about Palestine. "We will not be broadcasting the Eurovision song contest. We will be airing the film series 'Voices of Palestine', featuring Palestinian documentaries and feature films," said Ksenija Horvat, director of RTV Slovenia. Spain's RTVE reiterated its decision not to air Eurovision last week, marking the first time since 1961 that the contest will not be shown on Spanish television. Ireland's public broadcaster RTÉ announced last December it would neither broadcast nor participate in the event.
The walk-out was prompted by the European Broadcasting Union's decision to allow Israel to compete despite criticisms of its conduct in the war in Gaza. The Netherlands and Iceland also walked out of the event last December, but the contest will be shown on their respective national broadcasters, NPO and RÚV. Slovenia's premier Robert Golob has been a vocal critic of Israel's war and in August 2025 his government announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Russia has been barred from taking part in Eurovision since 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
We will not be broadcasting the Eurovision song contest. We will be airing the film series 'Voices of Palestine', featuring Palestinian documentaries and feature films.
This year's competition, Eurovision's 70th anniversary, will have 35 competing countries and is scheduled to take place in Vienna from 12 to 16 May. This year's edition will introduce new rules designed to stop governments and third parties from promoting songs to influence voters. Some countries had raised concerns over undue promotion methods after Israel topped the public vote at the contest in May, finishing second overall after jury votes.