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Eurovision Music Contest organisers introduced Wednesday that they have been excluding any nation in an armed battle from internet hosting the competitors and elevated the mininum age of rivals.
Whereas they didn’t point out any nation by title, Israel, which has been at battle in Gaza since 2023, got here near successful the competitors in each 2025 and 2026, in the end ending second on every event.
Underneath the previous guidelines, the successful nation usually hosts the next 12 months’s competitors.
Underneath the brand new guidelines, “the successful broadcaster will robotically be ineligible to host the competition if an armed battle, a delicate geopolitical state of affairs, or every other state of affairs materially impacts the safety, security or stability of their state or quick area”, they mentioned in an announcement.
In a primary, 5 international locations — Spain, Eire, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland — boycotted the 2026 competitors in Vienna over Israel’s participation.
They mentioned they may not participate alongside Israel due to its battle in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.
Martin Inexperienced, director of the Eurovision Music Contest, mentioned in an announcement that the modifications had been guided by suggestions from member international locations.
He added: “These modifications are about giving everybody concerned better readability, defending artists and guaranteeing the competition continues to supply a secure and welcoming setting, whereas preserving the spirit and integrity that make the Eurovision Music Contest so particular.”
– Minimal age requirement –
The organisers additionally introduced that rivals have to be at no less than 18, up from 16, on the day of their first rehearsal.
“This variation continues the work already undertaken by the competition to strengthen safeguarding and defend youthful artists from the pressures related to competing on the Eurovision Music Contest,” they added within the assertion.
The youngest particular person to win the competition was 13-year-old Sandra Kim from Belgium in 1986, in response to Eurovision information.
Eurovision is a co-production of public broadcasters belonging to the European Broadcasting Union. Because the EBU contains members from outdoors Europe, the competition shouldn’t be restricted to European international locations.
The EBU mentioned it might fee an unbiased safety evaluation earlier than deciding whether or not a successful nation is able to internet hosting the occasion safely.
If a successful nation is discovered unable to host the competition, the EBU will appoint one other host nation.
Underneath the brand new guidelines, that nation will organise the live performance “in its personal proper” and “won’t be required to stage the occasion on behalf of one other member”.
Ukraine hosted Eurovision in 2017 regardless of the battle within the nation’s east between Ukrainian forces and Moscow-backed separatists.
However after Ukraine received the competition in 2022, it was unable to host the next 12 months’s version due to Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Eurovision 2023 was as a substitute held in Liverpool in Britain on Ukraine’s behalf.
apo/jj/tw
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