Belgium confirms it will take part in Eurovision 2026

Belgium’s public broadcaster confirms that it will participate in the 2026 Eurovision, not joining those countries that are boycotting due to Israel’s inclusion.

Belgium operates two public broadcasters — VRT in Flemish and RTBF in French — and they alternate taking part in the Eurovision each year. While VRT issued a clear position against Israel’s participation, RTBF — which is in charge of next year’s contest — now says it will still take part.

Nevertheless, the broadcaster says that its participation “comes with a commitment” that “no cultural celebration and no international event can overshadow the absolute necessity of protecting citizens and those who report from conflict zones.” It is not clear how that will manifest, although last year, VRT aired a protest message against Israel ahead of the Eurovision broadcast.

Following the news last night that Israel would be allowed to stay in the Eurovision after a vote, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Ireland quit in protest. The Netherlands said it would still broadcast the competition, while the others said they would not.

Iceland, another harsh Israel critic who has called for it to be booted from the contest, said it will make its final decision on participation next week.