Iceland will not participate in Eurovision next year. This was announced by the chairman of the board of directors of the Icelandic National Broadcasting Corporation (Rúv) and the director-general of the national radio station after a meeting of the board of directors.
The director-general of the national radio station said that he had made the decision and informed the board today, which planned to submit a proposal on the same subject.
Representatives of European broadcasters agreed last week to allow Israel to participate in Eurovision in Vienna, Austria, next year. Several countries announced that they will withdraw from the competition. Among them were the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia.
The Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Spain withdrew due to alleged interference in the televote and the genocide in Gaza, which a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory stated:
“The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza,”
The chairman of the Icelandic Broadcasting Corporation has previously said that a decision on Iceland’s participation would have been made today, the deadline to notify the EBU of participation expires today, the 10th.
The Israeli Embassy in Norway has expressed disappointment with RÚV’s decision not to participate in Eurovision next year. In a post on X, it says that the slogan of the contest is to unite in music and the embassy believes that RÚV’s decision goes against those values.
Radio director Stefán Eiríksson says that the board of directors decided this yesterday.
“Simply because there is no peace or joy associated with this competition as it stands now. On that basis, first and foremost, we are taking a break while this situation persists.
This is just a done deal and Icelanders know that we won’t be in Eurovision for reasons that everyone knows. On my behalf, congratulations Iceland!”
The announcement states:
“The Director-General of the Icelandic Broadcasting Corporation explained at the meeting in Geneva that although the changes addressed many of the comments that RÚV representatives had made at various stages of the EBU cooperation in recent years, RÚV still had doubts that they were useful,”
It is clear from the public debate in this country and the reaction to the EBU’s decision made last week that there will be neither joy nor peace regarding RÚV’s participation in Eurovision. It is therefore RÚV’s decision to inform the EBU today that RÚV will not participate in Eurovision next year.
Eurovision has always had the goal of uniting the Icelandic people, but it is now clear that that goal will not be achieved ,and this decision is made on those programmatic grounds.
There has been no decision on whether a singing competition will be held by RÚV next year. The available options are being assessed and a decision on this will be announced when it is available.”
