Eurovision announces unprecedented changes

From May 12 to May 16, Vienna will dress up to host a new edition of the most famous and widely recognized music competition, at least on the European side of the Atlantic: Eurovision 2026. This year’s edition, however, will introduce a number of significant changes and new features that set it apart from every previous installment.

First, it is worth highlighting the countries that chose to withdraw due to Israel’s participation in the contest. Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Iceland led this decision. Even so, it has not triggered the domino effect that Spain’s public broadcaster, RTVE, had hoped for when it announced its withdrawal.

The rest of the Big Five, the group of countries that contribute the most financially to the festival and therefore qualify automatically for the grand final, will still take part in Eurovision 2026. France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy have decided not to follow Spain’s lead and will compete in the event in Vienna.

Eurovision aims to prevent fraudulent public voting

Although the boycott has not had the expected impact, contest organizers have still taken steps to address concerns over voting integrity. These measures also aim to restore confidence after the suspicions surrounding the public vote in Eurovision 2025, when Israel won by a wide margin.

The EBU has announced several actions to reduce fraud in the televote. First, the maximum number of votes per viewer will be reduced from 20 to 10. In addition, new systems will be introduced to detect and block fraudulent or coordinated voting. Finally, juries will once again participate in the semifinals, accounting for 50 percent of the vote. The size of each jury will also increase from five to seven members, including at least two young members between the ages of 18 and 25.

Flags must meet low-flammability certification requirements

The EBU has also announced an important change regarding the use of flags and their entry into the venue. This new protocol has been introduced following a New Year’s fire at a bar in Switzerland, in which 41 people lost their lives.

As a result, only flags with certified safety standards guaranteeing low flammability will be allowed inside. Given these requirements, Eurovision organizers recommend purchasing flags through the official website, as those products meet all necessary safety certifications.

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