France announced Wednesday evening that it will participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest — without making its participation conditional on a boycott of Israel, the official Eurovision France Instagram account said.
“French broadcaster France Télévisions is pleased to confirm its participation in Eurovision 2026, which will take place May 16 in Vienna, alongside other public broadcasters that are EBU members. The group renews its commitment to supporting musical creation, artists and this unique event,” the post said.
The announcement comes against a charged backdrop: On Tuesday Spain said it would join the boycott — announcing it would not take part in Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates. That made Spain the fourth country to formally announce a boycott should Israel compete, after Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands. It is worth noting that calls for a Spanish boycott had already been voiced by some government figures, so the announcement was not entirely unexpected.
The declarations from France and Spain are seen as more significant than others because they are two of Eurovision’s five biggest funders — the so-called “Big Five” countries that automatically qualify for the final — alongside Germany, England and Italy.
Ynet reported earlier this week that European sources had floated a proposal to Israeli officials that might end the Eurovision saga: a temporary one-year withdrawal, accompanied by a neutral flag or a statement from the Israeli broadcaster KAN condemning the army or government actions. But the assessment is that those proposals were not accepted.
The European Broadcasting Union quickly distanced itself from Ynet’s report, saying it had not made such a proposal and that the process is ongoing, with no decision expected before it concludes in December.