Massive Attack, Brian Eno and 1,000 Artists Urge Eurovision Boycott Over Israel
Massive Attack, Brian Eno and 1,000 Artists Urge Eurovision Boycott Over Israel
Over 1,000 musicians sign an open letter calling for a Eurovision 2026 boycott unless Israel's broadcaster KAN is excluded from the contest.
An open letter signed by more than 1,000 artists is calling for fans and broadcasters to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 unless Israel’s public broadcaster KAN is banned from the competition. The letter, organized by No Music for Genocide and the BDS movement, lists prominent names including Massive Attack, Paloma Faith, Paul Weller, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Kneecap and Hot Chip, among others, and urges people to join in a collective refusal to normalize the ongoing occupation of Palestinians. The message emphasizes that Eurovision should not be used to “whitewash” or justify Israeli actions, and it invites others in the music industry to stand in solidarity with Palestinian calls for public broadcasters, performers, crew and fans to boycott until meaningful action is taken.
This year Eurovision is scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, with ongoing controversy surrounding Israel’s participation. It marks the third consecutive year that Israel has taken part in the contest. In response to the dispute, several countries — Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands — withdrew from this year’s competition in protest, and many national selection finalists pledged not to participate. The open letter frames the issue as one of principled artistic responsibility and invites a broader industry-wide readiness to refuse participation as a form of political statement.
“As musicians and cultural workers, many living within the reaches of the [EBU], we reject Eurovision being used to whitewash and normalise Israel’s genocide, siege and brutal military occupation against Palestinians,” the letter states, in part. “We stand in solidarity with Palestinian calls for public broadcasters, performers, screening party organisers, crew, and fans to boycott Eurovision until the EBU bans complicit Israeli broadcaster KAN.” The signatories emphasize the power of collective action and the moral agency of artists who choose to publicly refuse complicity. The list includes major international names alongside regional acts, signaling a broad spectrum of support for the boycott call and a continuing debate over art, politics and global events in high-profile cultural platforms.
