2026 Eurovision Song Contest

[hardcorestitch]

Key dates:
-5/12 Semifinal 1
-5/14 Semifinal 2
-5/16 Final

Unfortunately due to politically motivated reasons, the countries of Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain will NOT be participating this edition. Accordingly, it will be untelevised in those areas as the respective broadcasters RTE, NOS, RUV, RTVSLO, and RTVE will also be boycotting broadcasts altogether. Therefore the only way to even follow the contest in those countries would be to stream the broadcast online, assuming Eurovision won’t black it out in those 5 countries.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I think secretly the bigwigs in RTE, the Irish broadcaster are kinda glad about the boycott, as they have big budget cuts at the moment. The politics just aligned at the right time when they really dont have the money for a big event like Eurovision.

 

[georgina]

I think secretly the bigwigs in RTE, the Irish broadcaster are kinda glad about the boycott, as they have big budget cuts at the moment. The politics just aligned at the right time when they really dont have the money for a big event like Eurovision.

Interesting. I have a family member in the RTE concert orchestra and I know the budget has not been good.

 

[hardcorestitch]

Interesting. I have a family member in the RTE concert orchestra and I know the budget has not been good.

Hopefully this doesn’t mean it becomes untelevised FOR GOOD even after tensions calm. The only other wide reaching broadcaster in Ireland is (bleugh) Virgin Media One.