Three members of the board of Italy’s public broadcaster RAI have urged Eurovision organizers invite a Palestinian cultural representative to take part in Eurovision 2026, though not as a competing participant. This suggestion comes amid continuing controversy in some European countries over Israel’s participation in the contest.
According to Italy’s Corriere della Sera, the proposal was signed by RAI board members Alessandro di Majo, Davide Di Pietro, and Roberto Natale, who argued that “Palestine should find hospitality” on the Eurovision stage as a gesture aligned with the contest’s stated values of inclusion and fraternity.
The report said the concept being floated is a performance outside the official competition, and that this performance would be a showcase intended to give visibility to an artist representing Palestinian culture, framed as a sign of inclusivity and a push for dialogue.
Only countries with a public broadcaster that is a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) participate in Eurovision, and Palestine does not have a public broadcaster.
Calls for Palestinian performer comes amid boycott push
The request to showcase a performer from Palestine comes as public pressure has mounted in Italy to withdraw from Eurovision, including calls from within RAI to boycott the event. In December, Euronews reported that a union at RAI released a petition urging Italy to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s participation, against a wider backdrop of withdrawals by several European broadcasters.
Currently, Spain (one of the “Big Five” sponsors of the contest), Slovenia, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Iceland have announced they will boycott the competition.
The Corriere report also tied the RAI board members’ letter to remarks by Italian singer Levante, a contestant in Italy’s Sanremo Music Festival, who said she would refuse to go to Eurovision even if she wins Sanremo because of Israel’s participation, and her statement has further intensified the debate in Italy.
Traditionally, the winner of Sanremo is given the opportunity to represent Italy at Eurovision. The Eurovision Fun website quoted her as saying, “It’s a much more politicized event than you might think. We’re dealing with a country that has recently created enormous tragedies and an ongoing genocide: we can’t pretend nothing’s happening.”
Portugal’s Festival da Canção is also being watched closely. This is Portugal’s pre-Eurovision contest, and Eurovision Fun reported Sunday that 13 out of the 16 acts competing in the festival have signed a joint statement saying they would boycott Eurovision 2026 if they win, to protest Israel’s participation. Two artists have said they would participate, and one contestant has not revealed their opinion.
This year, for the first time, the winner of this contest is not automatically required to represent Portugal at Eurovision. However, the Portuguese broadcaster RTP said that Portugal will still definitely send a representative to Eurovision
Eurovision 2026 is scheduled to take place in Vienna, with semi-finals on May 12 and 14 and the grand final on May 16.