The Eurovision organizers announced a rules change on Aug 12.
Eurovision Song Contest organizers announced on Aug. 12 that they were excluding any country in an armed conflict from hosting the competition and increased the minimum age of competitors.
While they did not mention any country by name, Israel, which has been at war in Gaza since 2023, came close to winning the competition in both 2025 and 2026, ultimately finishing second on each occasion.
Under the old rules, the winning country normally hosts the following year’s competition.
Under the new rules, “the winning broadcaster will automatically be ineligible to host the contest if an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region,” they said in a statement.
In a first, five countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland — boycotted the 2026 competition in Vienna over Israel’s participation.
Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said in a statement that the changes had been guided by feedback from member countries. He added: “These changes are about giving everyone involved greater clarity, protecting artists and ensuring the contest continues to provide a safe and welcoming environment, while preserving the spirit and integrity that make the Eurovision Song Contest so special.”
The organizers also announced that competitors must be at at least 18, up from 16, on the day of their first rehearsal.
“This change continues the work already undertaken by the contest to strengthen safeguarding and protect younger artists from the pressures associated with competing at the Eurovision Song Contest,” they added in the statement.
The youngest person to win the contest was 13-year-old Sandra Kim from Belgium in 1986, according to Eurovision records.
