The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has implemented a significant policy shift regarding the Eurovision Song Contest, announcing that countries currently engaged in armed conflict will be barred from hosting the competition. Under the new regulations, a winning broadcaster is automatically deemed ineligible to host if their nation or immediate region faces an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other circumstances that could materially compromise security, safety, or stability.
The EBU, which oversees the annual event as a co-production of public broadcasters from its member nations, noted that it may conduct independent security assessments to determine if a winning country is capable of hosting safely. While the new policy does not explicitly name any specific nation, the decision follows recent tensions surrounding the contest. Israel, for instance, finished in second place in both 2025 and 2026. During the 2026 edition held in Vienna, five countries—Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland—staged a boycott, marking a first in the contest's history. These nations cited their inability to participate alongside Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza, which was sparked by the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas.
Should a winning country be found unable to host, the EBU will select an alternative host nation. Under the updated framework, the replacement host will organize the concert in its own right rather than acting on behalf of another member. This policy clarifies the process for future events, following a precedent set in 2023 when the United Kingdom hosted the contest in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine. Although Ukraine had successfully hosted the event in 2017 despite conflict in the country's east, the nation was unable to host the 2023 edition following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Because the EBU includes members from outside Europe, the contest remains open to a broader range of countries beyond the continent.
