"Ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest final taking place tonight, RTVE reminds that it has decided not to participate in this edition of the competition," the broadcaster wrote on its X account. "The Eurovision Song Contest is a competition, but human rights are not. There is no room for indifference. Peace and Justice for Palestine."
Eurovision 2026: The Spanish broadcaster aired a black screen with a protest message at 9 p.m. local time, as Eurovision began
The message appeared in white text on a black background on the Spanish channel’s screen. The broadcaster decided not to participate in this year’s contest in protest of Israel’s participation.
When a participating country makes a similar move, Israel can file an official complaint with the European Broadcasting Union. But because Spain is not competing this year, the EBU is not expected to impose sanctions.