The first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest starts Tuesday in Vienna as disagreements over Israel’s participation overshadow the competition’s 70th anniversary.

Vienna has been decorated with hearts and the contest’s “United by Music” slogan ahead of a week in which performers from 35 countries will compete for the musical title. At the same time, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland announced a boycott in protest against Israel’s participation, News.Az reports, citing The Associated Press.

Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned during Eurovision week, while security measures in Vienna have been strengthened. Police officers from across Austria have been deployed in the capital with additional support from neighboring Germany.

Last month, a 21-year-old Austrian man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group pleaded guilty to planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024. The head of Austria’s DSN intelligence service, Sylvia Mayer, stated that the threat from Islamist terrorist groups and Iran-linked organizations remains high.

Israeli singer Noam Bettan is among 15 performers competing in Tuesday’s semifinal at the Wiener Stadthalle arena. The top 10 participants will advance to Saturday’s final along with 10 qualifiers from Thursday’s second semifinal. The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy automatically qualify as major financial contributors to the contest, while Austria enters the final as the host country and last year’s winner.

Bettan will perform the ballad “Michelle” in an attempt to secure Israel a place in the final after the country finished second in 2025. Like last year’s Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael, he has rehearsed while being booed.

Among the favorites is Finland with the song “Liekinheitin” (“Flamethrower”) performed by violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen. Other participants include Greece’s Akylas with the track “Ferto,” Portuguese group Bandidos do Cante with “Rosa,” and singer Senhit representing San Marino with “Superstar,” featuring Boy George.

In recent years, Eurovision has struggled to separate music from politics. Russia was removed from the competition in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine. The 2024 contest in Malmo and the 2025 event in Basel were both marked by pro-Palestinian protests demanding Israel’s exclusion over the war in Gaza and allegations of vote manipulation.

After organizers refused to expel Israel, five countries announced in December that they would not take part this year.

The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, introduced stricter voting rules following allegations of vote-rigging. The number of votes allowed per person has been reduced to 10, and additional measures against suspicious or coordinated voting have been introduced.

Author Dean Vuletic said Eurovision has survived many political and geopolitical crises in the past and believes the contest will continue despite current tensions.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova