Spain’s Eurovision – Spain’s public broadcaster has withdrawn from Eurovision in protest of Israel’s participation amid its war against Hamas in Gaza, leaving fans torn and creating a noticeable absence in Vienna. Spain will still be able to watch through international channels, b
For Silvia Díaz. Eurovision night has always come with the same familiar rhythm: gathering with friends. sharing the suspense. and debating which flamboyant performance will win.. This year, the annual plan has been canceled.. Díaz said her host called off the meetup after Spain’s public broadcaster withdrew from the contest. protesting Israel’s participation over the war against Hamas in Gaza.
Díaz said she’ll watch on YouTube, if she has no other plans. “It’s not the same watching it alone at home as it is with friends. That’s the only thing that upsets me.”
Spain’s Eurovision tradition is deeply woven into its pop-culture calendar.. The five-day competition drew 166 million viewers last year, a figure considerably higher than Super Bowl viewership in the United States.. Even though Spain hasn’t won since 1969. friends and families typically watch the final at home and in bars. with the country’s contestant dominating day-after headlines.. At events, Spaniards often wave the country’s flag, wear red clothing, or wear bullfighter costumes.
The boycott was announced in December after the European Broadcasting Union said Israel would be allowed to compete.. Spain has been joined by Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland.. Some Spanish fans acknowledge the impulse to take a stand, but frame the decision as bittersweet rather than celebratory.
RTVE’s protest has played out beyond the decision to stay away from the main stage.. In last year’s semifinals. RTVE commentators introduced Israel’s singer in the same breath as they mentioned Palestinians killed in the war.. Ahead of the final. the network transmitted the message “Peace and justice for Palestine” on a black background to hundreds of thousands of Spanish televisions.
On Saturday night in Vienna, the absence of Spain’s broadcaster is expected to change what viewers get from home.. RTVE will instead air a tribute to the network’s musical history. featuring a performance by Tony Grox and Lucycalys—musicians RTVE would have dispatched to represent Spain at Eurovision.
Other countries’ broadcast plans also shift.. Ireland’s public broadcaster will air a film about one couple’s life in the Irish countryside. while Slovenians will be shown an episode of a 10-part program about Palestinians.. People can still watch Eurovision on the European Broadcasting Union’s YouTube channel. but without a performer or commentator from their own country. fans described the atmosphere as less charged.
Israel’s long run at Eurovision has its own emotional pull, with a different kind of stakes attached.. Israel has been competing for 50 years and won four times.. Israelis often gather in bars to watch and treat participation as a sign of international acceptance and normalcy. with the contestant each year seen as a national celebrity.. Even when Israel isn’t an outright winner, a strong showing is still a source of pride.
Among Spanish fans, the boycott has produced a split that cuts along personal lines.. Rebeca Carril, 42, said the turning point came a few years ago as Israeli sponsors became more visible.. She said she didn’t want to support marketing efforts by tuning in.. “I have Palestinian friends and I began to understand a little better how things worked. ” Carril said. linking her decision to what she said she learned from her relationships.
Guillermina Bastida, 47, takes a different view.. Driving 3 1/2 days from northern Spain in a van with her two daughters to last year’s competition in Basel—her third time attending—she said she will now watch on YouTube.. “It’s a song festival, period,” Bastida said.. “I also have my own stance, which is critical, but not to the point of boycotting the festival.”
Organizers insist Eurovision is built to keep politics out even as real-world conflicts press in.. Eurovision’s motto is “United by Music,” and organizers strive to keep the contest focused on music rather than governments.. Contest rules ban overtly political lyrics or symbols. and the European Broadcasting Union has previously barred Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022; Russia hasn’t been allowed to return.
The boycott’s ripple effects are also financial and reputational, according to people who track the contest.. Spain is one of the so-called “Big Five” countries that contribute the most financially to Eurovision.. Jose García. co-director of a website that provides news about the competition and whose main social media channels have a combined total of almost 100. 000 followers. said Spain’s withdrawal means missing out on big broadcasting-rights money. and also means Eurovision is losing publicity and credibility.. “It has marked the television and personal history of many people. and fans will watch it via international channels or YouTube.. But it’s one thing to be able to watch it and another to agree with what’s happening. ” García said.
The pattern is plain in how the broadcasts are reshaped: RTVE’s anti-Israel messaging in prior years is followed by a full withdrawal from the competition this time, while tribute programming and other countries’ alternative content replace the missing performances and commentary.
In Vienna, the absence of Spaniards is being felt in small, visible ways.. Vicente Rico, who attended the first night of the semifinals, said the lack of Spaniards stood out on the streets.. “We’re a group that. just like at other events. makes its presence felt — we’re among the happiest. the loudest and the most fun. ” said Rico. 40. who runs a perfumery in Madrid.
Rico said this year marks the 18th Eurovision for him. and that he had been torn before setting off on the trip.. He said he believes the boycott is morally right, but still doesn’t like seeing Eurovision used as a scapegoat.. “It bothers me that Eurovision is being used as a scapegoat. ” he said. adding that he sees little action from international organizations and boycotts at other events like the FIFA World Cup. which kicks off in a month.
He also wrestled with whom to support without Spain in the mix.. Rico said he expects Finland to win and that support for Italy is strong.. If Sweden. Serbia or Australia prevails. he said he would return to Spain “happy.” But for now. his preference was clear: “This year. we’re rooting for everyone except Israel.”
Spain Eurovision RTVE boycott Israel Hamas Gaza European Broadcasting Union Vienna United by Music