Spain’s withdrawal from Eurovision Song Contest 2026 It is one of the news of the week. The decision, which surprised spectators and professionals in the sector, opened a scenario that keeps thousands of European fans in a state of suspense. Not just because For the first time in history Of the form in which Spain will not take to the stage, also because it left the national audience without a clear answer on how to follow the competition next May.
The announcement of non-participation comes after the 95th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), held in Geneva, approved Israel’s participation in the event. This confirmation led to the departure of RTVE, which had previously been absent from the space as a participant. But the semi-finals on May 12 and 14 and the final on the 16 scheduled in Vienna will also be broadcast.
The president of RTVE, José Pablo Lopez, publicly criticized what happened on social networks, denouncing the climate of blackout at the meeting: “What happened in the EBU assembly confirms this Eurovision is not a song contest“But it is a festival dominated by geopolitical interests and divided.”
At this point, the question of where Eurovision 2026 will be broadcast in Spain remains without a definitive answer. Under normal circumstances, broadcast rights belong exclusively to participating public television stations, making it difficult for a private national channel to obtain them. However, the enormous interest that the festival generates in our country keeps all possible options open.
RTVE has already publicly confirmed this We will not provide coverage of this event. The network indicates in its official statement that “the exit of the festival means that RTVE will not broadcast the final match of the Eurovision 2026 competition, which will be held in Vienna (Austria) on May 16, nor the previous semi-final of the competition, which will be held on the 12th and 14th.”
Despite this, the Spanish company retains ownership of the television broadcasting rights, which opens the door for it It has been allocated or sold to a special series Interested in broadcasting the festival.
Another alternative is to resort to international channels that retain official rights and present their signals over the Internet, especially those with a presence in Latin America that traditionally facilitate open broadcasting.
The 95th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union was marked by the intense division caused by Israel’s participation in the Eurovision contest. Delegates from 68 public channels from 56 countries discussed the measures adopted by the organization, while RTVE and other important stations ended up forcing a secret vote on the continuation of the Israeli channel KAN.
As I applied 20 minutesThere were eight countries – including Spain, through RTVE – that requested, based on the EBU Statutes, a secret vote to decide whether to expel Israel. Since the regulations stipulate that a request of five members is sufficient, the proposal was finally moved forward.
RTVE and Spain’s decision on Eurovision represents a relevant shift in the historic European music event. Following a vote held at the 95th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva, the Spanish public corporation has activated the withdrawal it had been announcing since September: “Spain will withdraw from the festival if Israel is part of it,” the RTVE board of directors agreed months ago.
Now the public chain keeps its word. In this sense, Alfonso Morales, Secretary General of RTVE, insisted during his speech on maintaining the Spanish position of “respect and depth.” Concern about the current complex situationWith the hope that we can continue to advance and remain united in the EBU.”
The day ended with a vote on the new rules promoted by the Reference Group and the EBU administration, which were approved after 738 votes in favour, 264 against and 120 abstentions.