Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE, is set to replace the final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with a classic episode of the comedy Father Ted, in a move highlighting growing international protest against Israel’s participation.
On Saturday night, RTE 2 will air “A Song For Europe”, the sitcom’s Eurovision-themed episode featuring priests Ted and Dougal performing “My Lovely Horse”.
This decision is part of a broader boycott, with Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia refusing to send competitors to the 70th iteration of the song competition and opting not to broadcast the final, citing Israel’s war in Gaza. The Netherlands and Iceland are also not sending acts to compete, but will still air the final.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry estimates has killed 72,300 Palestinians since the October 7 attack, stands in contrast to Russia’s ban from Eurovision following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The boycott gained momentum after a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) general assembly in Geneva, where new rules were discussed to deter countries from organising campaigns for their acts.
This followed concerns over the significant public votes received by Israel in 2025, where Israeli singer Yuval Raphael secured the largest number of public votes, ultimately finishing as runner-up after jury scores were factored in.
Following the 2025 contest, RTE requested a breakdown of voting numbers from the EBU, while Spain’s public broadcaster, Radio Television Espanola (RTVE), called for a “complete review” of the voting system to prevent “external interference”. RTE2 will also broadcast alternative programming during the semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday.
In a statement issued in September last year, RTE said: “RTE feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.
“RTE is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages.”
Similarly, the Slovenian broadcaster plans to air a series of documentaries on the Middle East, themed “Voices of Palestine”.
Ireland holds a joint record with Sweden for the most Eurovision wins, with seven victories, the last being Eimear Quinn in 1996 with “The Voice”.
