ISTANBUL

After Iceland joined Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia in withdrawing from Eurovision 2026, 17 Portuguese musicians competing in the national selection show Festival da Cancao said they would refuse to represent Portugal even if selected for the next year’s song contest.

The entrants in the internal contest to elect a representative issued a statement protesting Israel’s controversial participation in the contest, according to Euronews.

“With words and with songs, we act within the possibilities we are given. We do not accept complicity with the violation of Human Rights,” the statement said.

“Despite Russia’s ban from Eurovision 2022 for political reasons, we were surprised to see that the same stance was not taken towards Israel, which, according to the United Nations, is committing acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,” it added.

In response, Portugal’s public broadcaster RTP said: "Regardless of the decision of the artists who subscribe to the statement, RTP will once again organise Festival da Canção and reaffirms its participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026."

Salvador Sobral, Portugal’s only Eurovision winner, also criticized RTP’s position in a video shared on social media, accusing the broadcaster of “political cowardice.”

Public outrage has meanwhile spread across Portugal, leading to the launch of a petition calling for the country’s immediate withdrawal from Eurovision.

The petition, which has gathered more than 22,000 signatures, argues that RTP’s backing of Israel’s participation “puts Portugal on the wrong side of history.”

“This stance is unacceptable in the face of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and military offensive in the Gaza Strip, and in the face of the vote rigging scandals that marred the 2025 edition in Basel, proving the inability of the organisation (EBU) to curb the politicisation of the event,” the petition said.