Norwegian stars urged to boycott Eurovision as 575 artists sign petition over Israel row

A shock petition signed by 575 Norwegian artists is calling on performers and songwriters to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 if Israel is allowed to take part, the campaign’s organisers say.

The move, launched by artist Marthe Valle and cultural veteran Erik Hillestad, lands as NRK’s head of broadcasting, Vibeke Fürst Haugen, attends the European Broadcasting Union’s general assembly in Geneva — where member states may vote on whether Israel should be barred from next year’s contest.

The petition accuses Israel of grave human-rights abuses and argues that participation in Eurovision is inherently political; it urges Norwegian creatives to refuse submissions so that «without artist participation and without a song written by people, Norway will not be able to compete», the statement says according to VG.no.

Broadcasters in several other countries have reportedly signalled they would consider withdrawing if Israel is welcomed, with names such as Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, Iceland and the Netherlands mentioned as weighing boycotts or withdrawals.

Organisers of the petition insist Eurovision has never been apolitical, pointing to past entries that carried political messages, and warn that a mass artist boycott could leave Norway off the scoreboard in 2026 — turning a music contest into a diplomatic showdown.