Australia among 35 countries to take part in Eurovision

Thirty-five countries including Australia are set to participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, the European Broadcasting Union says following the decision by a number of members to boycott the event after Israel was allowed to take part.

EBU member broadcasters cleared the way for Israel's participation earlier this month, despite calls to exclude the country from Eurovision over its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

In response, broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland plan to boycott next year's edition.

Three other countries - Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova - are set to return to Eurovision for the first time in several years.

The EBU released the full list of participants for 2026 on Monday.

At this year's competition in Basel, Switzerland, 37 countries competed for the votes of the jury and the audience.

The competition remains "a place where voices, cultures, languages and music are woven together," EBU director Martin Green said, "where people from many backgrounds can show that in a difficult world a better one is possible".

Eurovision, the world's largest song contest, has been overshadowed for several weeks by the debate about Israel's participation.

Last week, the Swiss winner of the 2024 Eurovision Nemo pledged to return the trophy in protest of Israel's participation in the next edition of the event, citing the country's military actions in the Gaza Strip.

The EBU and Austrian host broadcaster ORF have repeatedly stressed that Eurovision should not be political.

Vienna is hosting the music competition for the third time, following events in 1967 and 2015.

The final will take place on May 16.