An open letter demanding a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest has gathered more than 1,100 signatures from musicians worldwide, including well-known artists such as Macklemore, Massive Attack, and Kneecap, intensifying cultural pressure on organisers over Israel’s continued participation in the competition.
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The letter, issued under the “No Music for Genocide” campaign, criticises the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for allowing Israel to remain part of Eurovision despite ongoing military actions in Gaza, which the signatories describe as a “genocide” and a prolonged campaign of siege and destruction.
The artists argue that Eurovision risks being used as a platform to “whitewash and normalise” Israel’s actions in Palestine, while contrasting the EBU’s decision to ban Russia from the contest following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. According to the letter, this discrepancy highlights what the signatories call a “hypocritical” double standard in the organisation’s policies.
The letter specifically notes that audiences would “see Israel celebrated on stage” during the contest while Russia remains excluded for the third consecutive year, despite what the artists describe as similarly grave violations of international law.
Several European public broadcasters — including those in Spain, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands — were praised in the letter for reportedly considering withdrawal or conditional participation unless Israeli broadcaster KAN is excluded from the event.
The statement further intensifies its criticism by highlighting the humanitarian situation in Gaza, alleging widespread destruction of cultural, educational, and civilian infrastructure, and calling attention to the suffering of Palestinian civilians, including children detained in Israeli prisons.
The “No Music for Genocide” initiative began as a coordinated effort by more than 400 musicians to geo-block their music in Israel. It has since evolved into a wider cultural boycott movement across the global arts community.
The campaign draws inspiration from similar initiatives in the film industry, where prominent Hollywood figures such as Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, and Mark Ruffalo have previously supported boycotts of Israeli institutions linked to state policy.
In parallel, more than 1,000 writers — including winners of major literary awards such as the Booker Prize, Pulitzer Prize, and Nobel Prize for Literature — have pledged not to collaborate with Israeli publishers, literary festivals, or agencies they believe are “complicit in violations of Palestinian rights”.
The growing cultural boycott movement reflects increasing global polarization over the Gaza conflict, as artists, writers, and performers increasingly use their platforms to take political positions on the war and its humanitarian consequences.
