Spanish state broadcaster RTVE has decided to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest should Israel be permitted to compete, following a board vote on Tuesday.
The Spanish broadcaster becomes the fifth to announce withdrawal plans, joining public broadcasters from the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland and Ireland.
Significantly, Spain represents the first member of Eurovision's "Big Five" nations to threaten non-participation.
This group, comprising Spain, Britain, Germany, Italy and France, contributes the largest financial support to the competition and enjoys automatic qualification to the final round.
BBC Eurovision: Israel's Yuval Raphael finished as runner-up last year
| GETTYThe decision marks a historic moment for Spain, which has participated continuously in Eurovision since its 1961 debut.
RTVE's board of directors convened on Tuesday morning to reach its decision through a formal vote. The resolution passed with an absolute majority, securing 10 votes in favour whilst four board members opposed the measure and one abstained.
The broadcaster released a statement confirming the outcome, whilst also clarifying that the boycott decision would not affect plans for Benidorm Fest 2026, Spain's national selection process for Eurovision contestants.
Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun had previously voiced concerns about the matter during a television interview on La hora de La 1, where he suggested Spain should consider withdrawal.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
España se retirará de Eurovisión si Israel continúa en el certamen.
— RTVE Comunicación y Participación (@RTVE_Com) September 16, 2025
🔸El Consejo de Administración de la Corporación ha tomado esta decisión este martes por mayoría absoluta de sus miembros.https://t.co/XM2TlthhTG pic.twitter.com/KSgruVh5Ht
The withdrawal announcements began with public broadcasters AVROTROS from the Netherlands and RTÉ from Ireland making statements last week.
Slovenia's RTVSLO and Iceland's RÚV have also confirmed they will not participate if Israel competes in Vienna next year.
Eurovision: Spain threatens to pull out of 2026 competition
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These five broadcasters have now created unprecedented pressure on the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the annual song competition.
The financial implications are particularly significant given Spain's status within the Big Five group, whose members provide substantially larger production funding compared to smaller participating broadcasters.
The coordinated nature of these withdrawals represents a major challenge to Eurovision's traditional format and participation structure.
Recent Eurovision contests have witnessed demonstrations opposing Israel's military operations in Gaza, which began following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths.
Melody represented Spain at last year's competition
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Spain's Eurovision participation spans over six decades without interruption, establishing it as the longest-competing nation never to have withdrawn.
The country secured victory twice, with Massiel's La la la in 1968 and Salomé's Vivo cantando in 1969, when an unprecedented four-way tie occurred between Spain, France, Britain and the Netherlands.
At the 2025 contest in Basel, Spanish representative Melody performed Esa Diva, finishing 24th in the Grand Final with 37 points.