Spain’s decision to boycott Eurovision this weekend comes with fewer decorations and fewer rituals than in years past, and fans said it has left them weighing the value of standing by a protest against the loss of a shared entertainment night.
Silvia Díaz said her host canceled her annual gathering after RTVE withdrew from the contest, protesting Israel’s participation over its war against Hamas in Gaza. Díaz said she would still watch on YouTube, but that “It’s not the same watching it alone at home as it is with friends. That’s the only thing that upsets me.”
The boycott, the AP report said, marks a break from Spain’s recent rhythm for the contest’s finals, after months of television, radio and newspaper coverage and a focus on which performer will become the centerpiece of the next day’s headlines. Eurovision often becomes a social event in Spain, with fans waving the country’s flag, wearing red clothing, or sometimes dressing in bullfighter costumes, and with many watching in bars and homes rather than alone.
Spain announced the boycott in December after the European Broadcasting Union said Israel would be allowed to compete. The AP report said Spain’s broadcaster had voiced disapproval repeatedly, including RTVE commentators during last year’s semifinals introducing Israel’s singer in the same breath as they mentioned Palestinians killed in the war, and the network transmitting the message “Peace and justice for Palestine” on a black background before airing the final.
RTVE said it will air a tribute instead of broadcasting Eurovision as the contest takes place in Vienna, featuring a performance by Tony Grox and Lucycalys, the musicians RTVE would have dispatched to represent Spain. Elsewhere, Ireland’s public broadcaster is scheduled to air a film about one couple’s life in the Irish countryside, while Slovenians will see an episode of a 10-part program about Palestinians, the report said. The AP also noted that people can still watch Eurovision on the European Broadcasting Union’s YouTube channel, but the absence of national performers or commentators reduces what fans described as the contest’s atmosphere.
Fans interviewed for the AP report described the boycott’s impact as uneven within their own communities. Rebeca Carril, 42, said she supports the decision and traced her shift to learning about the war through Palestinian friends, saying: “I have Palestinian friends and I began to understand a little better how things worked.” She said she chose not to tune in because she did not want to support what she viewed as Israeli sponsors linked to the contest.
Other fans rejected the idea of a total boycott, drawing a line between music and politics. Guillermina Bastida, 47, said she made the trip in the past and drove “3 1/2 days from northern Spain in a van with her two daughters” to last year’s contest in Basel, her third time attending, but that she plans to watch instead via YouTube this year. “It’s a song festival, period,” Bastida said by phone from Asturias province. “I also have my own stance, which is critical, but not to the point of boycotting the festival.”
The AP report also said Eurovision’s organizers have stressed that the contest is a competition among national broadcasters rather than governments, and that its rules bar overtly political lyrics or symbols. Eurovision’s motto is “United by Music,” and the report said organizers have previously excluded Russia’s broadcasters after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Russia not allowed to return.
While some supporters see the absence of Spanish broadcasters as a necessary statement, others said Spain’s withdrawal carries a cost in attention and credibility. Jose García, co-director of a Eurovision news website, said Spain risks losing publicity and that missing broadcasting rights has financial consequences. “It has marked the television and personal history of many people, and fans will watch it via international channels or YouTube. But it’s one thing to be able to watch it and another to agree with what’s happening,” García said.
In Vienna, fans said Spain’s boycott is visible in the crowd. Vicente Rico, 40, said the lack of Spaniards was noticeable after attending the first night of the semifinals, saying “We’re a group that, just like at other events, makes its presence felt — we’re among the happiest, the loudest and the most fun.” Rico, who said it is his 18th Eurovision, said he was torn but felt the boycott was morally right, while also saying it troubles him that Eurovision was being used as a stand-in target.
Rico said: “It bothers me that Eurovision is being used as a scapegoat,” adding that he saw similar boycotts and actions as lacking elsewhere, including at other events like the FIFA World Cup that begins in a month. Still, he said Spain’s absence left him without a clear national choice, and he said: “This year, we’re rooting for everyone except Israel.”