Isael has been placed in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will take place on 12 May in Vienna. The allocation was confirmed during the official draw held on Sunday at Vienna’s City Hall, known as the Wiener Rathaus.
The draw comes as the contest faces its most serious political dispute in its history. Only 35 countries are set to take part in the 70th edition of Eurovision. This is the lowest number of participants since the semi-final format was expanded in 2004.
Five countries have withdrawn from the contest. Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain said they would not take part because of Israel’s inclusion. Broadcasters in those countries cited concerns linked to the war in Gaza, restrictions on international media access, and reports of harm to Palestinian journalists.
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs the contest, said Israel remains eligible under Eurovision rules. The EBU confirmed that the competition is for public broadcasters, not governments, and that Israel’s broadcaster meets the membership requirements. Following that decision, the five broadcasters formally confirmed their withdrawal.
In response to controversy during the 2025 contest, the EBU has announced changes to the voting system. These include the return of professional juries in the semi-finals, alongside the public televote. The juries will be more diverse, with members aged between 18 and 25 included for the first time. The EBU has also said it has strengthened systems to detect voting fraud and introduced limits on state-backed promotional campaigns.
Israel will compete in Semi-Final One on 12 May. Ten countries from the semi-final will qualify for the grand final, which will be held on Saturday 16 May. The full list of countries in each half of the semi-final will be confirmed by the organisers following the draw.
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Luxembourg and Malta are among the countries also expected to appear in the first semi-final. The exact running order of performances will be decided later by the show’s producers.
The contest will be hosted by Austrian broadcaster ORF after Austria won the 2025 competition in Basel. Organisers say the event will go ahead in Vienna as planned, with a focus on music, inclusivity and the integrity of the voting process.
From each semi-final, the top ten songs will qualify for the final based on a combined score from national juries and the public vote.
Despite the withdrawals and criticism, the EBU says Eurovision 2026 will continue under its established rules, stressing that the contest is designed to unite audiences through music.