Eurovision Song Contest changes rules for countries at war

"These changes are about giving everyone involved greater clarity, protecting artists and ensuring the Contest continues to provide a safe and welcoming environment"

The Eurovision Song Contest has today (August 12) announced rule changes for countries at war during the competition.

Organisers have announced that if a country involved in an armed conflict wins the competition, it will be ineligible to host the competition the following year. The rules also add that countries could also be disqualified if “a sensitive geopolitical situation” affects the “security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region.”

The new rules state that “where deemed necessary” the EBU, which organises Eurovision, “may commission an independent security assessment of the winner’s region.”

It added: “Following that assessment, the EBU will consult the Reference Group to determine whether the winning member is able to safely host the Contest.”

If the winning country is found to be unsafe to host, the EBU will then select an alternative broadcaster to run the show. They added that they “will not be required to stage the event on behalf of another member”.

Back in 2023, the BBC worked in conjunction with its Ukrainian broadcast counterpart to reflect the country’s heritage in the contest when they held the competition in Liverpool after Ukraine’s win the previous year. Due to the ongoing conflict, it was deemed too unsafe to hold the competition in Ukraine.

It comes after this year’s contest once again proved fraught with controversy, with several countries – Ireland, Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland and Spain – boycotting the event in protest at Israel’s inclusion, despite the nation’s military action in Gaza.