Musicians and human rights advocates across Europe are mounting a cultural challenge to the Eurovision Song Contest as Israel's participation in this week's competition in Vienna sparks widespread protest over its devastating military campaign in Gaza and elsewhere, with five nations boycotting and alternative concerts highlighting Palestinian voices excluded from the global stage.
In an ornate Brussels concert hall, Palestinian songwriter Bashar Murad stood before hundreds and delivered a mournful performance of Nina Simone's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" in English and Arabic, and the audience erupted when the final notes faded. The performance Tuesday evening was part of a protest movement against this week's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, with Israel's participation sparking anger over its devastating military campaign in Gaza and elsewhere.
Five Nations Boycott Competition
Five nations, including Spain and Ireland, are boycotting the contest as performers from 35 countries compete in Europe's annual pop music competition, which marks its 70th anniversary this year. The boycotting countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland — withdrew after the European Broadcasting Union declined to expel Israel from the competition.
Ten countries including Israel and favorite Finland won places Tuesday in Saturday's final of the contest, whose motto is "United by Music." Alternative concerts are taking place across Europe this week, including the "United for Palestine" event in Brussels, where European musicians performed alongside Murad and other Palestinian artists.
Palestinian Voices Seek Recognition
Murad said, "It's always amazing to be in the same room with people who believe in the same things as you and people who believe that we can't just let the show go on." Murad's mother and father, a founding member of the influential Palestinian music group Sabreen, unsuccessfully petitioned the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, to admit Palestine to the contest in 2007.
Since joining in 1973, Israel has won four times, giving the country visibility at a high-profile event that celebrates diversity. Many Israelis have said they feel they are being unfairly ostracized with the boycotts and other protests.
Human Rights Groups Demand Accountability
Amnesty International secretary general Agnès Callamard said she believes Eurovision should throw Israel out of the competition like it did Russia in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. She said, "Songs and sequins must not be allowed to drown out or distract from Israel's atrocities or Palestinian suffering."
Israel's place in the contest has become contentious as outrage has grown over the carnage in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Iran, with massive popular protests and European Union politicians mulling new sanctions.
Katrien De Ruysscher, founder of the activist group SOS Gaza, which organized the Brussels event along with rights group 11.11.11, said, "We have to create an alternative because the participation of Israel is problematic."
Past Controversies and Rule Changes
The 2024 Eurovision contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year's event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests that called for Israel to be expelled and allegations that Israel's government broke the contest's rules to support its contestant. Performers are judged by juries in participating nations and viewers around the world, and this year the broadcasting union tightened voting rules in response to the vote-rigging allegations.
But the broadcasting union declined to kick Israel out, spurring the five-nation boycott. Israel's President Isaac Herzog welcomed the union's decision, saying at the time that "Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world."
Alternative Programming Spreads
Organizers of the concert in Brussels said similar events are taking place in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Italy and Spain. Spanish public television, which in past years broadcast the Eurovision contest, plans to air alternative broadcasting on Saturday evening. It said the program titled "La Casa de la Música" will be a tribute to the musical legacy of the broadcaster, marking its 70th anniversary. It will feature performances by 20 veteran and newcomer musicians including the winners of a Spanish contest, the Benidorm Fest, who would normally have gone to Eurovision.
However, none of the alternative events will boast an audience like the Eurovision contest, which drew 166 million viewers in 2025 and continues to draw enthusiastic fans this year.
Murad said he hoped the alternative events can spark some reflection of the pop cultural juggernaut's original mission to unite people through song. He said, "The purpose of these alternative programs that are happening is to remind Eurovision what it's actually about and to try to hopefully bring it back, to correct its course and make it actually live up to the things that it claims to be about," and, "A lot of people in the world feel that the competition has lost its meaning."
Why This Matters:
The boycott and alternative concerts highlight fundamental questions about cultural institutions' accountability when member states face credible allegations of human rights violations. The exclusion of Palestine from Eurovision for 19 years while Israel maintains its platform underscores structural inequalities in international cultural spaces that claim to celebrate diversity and unity. The European Broadcasting Union's different treatment of Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine versus Israel's current military campaign raises concerns about consistent application of human rights standards. For Palestinian artists and their supporters, these alternative events represent not just protest but an assertion of cultural rights and recognition denied through formal channels, while the debate over Israel's participation reflects broader tensions between cultural exchange and accountability for civilian suffering in conflict zones.