‘Large majority’ of members voted to allow Israel to stay in Eurovision, says EBU

The European Broadcasting Union issues an official statement confirming that “a large majority” of members voted to back new Eurovision reforms, allowing for “all EBU members” who wish to take part to do so.

The EBU statement does not explicitly mention Israel, but confirms that its members showed “clear support” for the new reforms and that there was “no need for a further vote” on who would be allowed to participate.

“The result of this vote demonstrates our members’ shared commitment to protecting transparency and trust in the Eurovision Song Contest, the world’s largest live music event,” says EBU President Delphine Ernotte Cunci in a statement, thanking members for “their thoughtful, respectful and constructive contributions.”

The reforms unveiled by the EBU last month aimed to address some of the concerns expressed after Israel ran away with the popular vote in 2024 and 2025. Moving forward, votes per person will be capped at 10, not 20; the EBU will “discourage” governments from running public campaigns for their entrants, and bar contestants from coordinating with such campaigns; and professional juries will be brought back for the semifinal rounds, in conjunction with the popular vote.

The EBU says that broadcasters will now have to confirm their participation in next year’s competition in Vienna, and the full list of participants will be announced before Christmas.