Grassroots campaign group Boycott Eurovision Australia has called on Australian fans to turn off their broadcasts during Israel’s Grand Final performance, in protest of the country’s “attempt to art-wash its continued genocide in Palestine”.
Israel is due to perform at 5am (AEST) on Saturday morning, with the contest broadcast exclusively in Australia on SBS and SBS On Demand.
The call comes after audience members shouted “Stop the genocide” during Israel’s Semi Final performance, and were subsequently removed despite promises previously made not to censor protests.
Australia’s 2021 Eurovision entrant Montaigne, Eurovision winners Johnny Logan (1980, 1987, 1992), Charlie McGettigan (1994), Nemo (2024), and JJ (2025) and over 1100 artists worldwide including Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Macklemore, Kneecap, and Sigur Ros, have joined the boycott.
Montaigne, who spoke out at Boycott Eurovision and Free Palestine Melbourne’s protest at SBS offices in Melbourne in December 2025, said: “SBS participating in Eurovision while the Israeli military and settler groups are terrorising Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip and West Bank makes the whole of Australia complicit in the Palestinian genocide. I call upon SBS and all Australian artists to boycott Eurovision so long as Israel is a participating country.”
This week, Boycott Eurovision Australia also submitted a new petition to SBS with almost 10,000 signatures demanding the station follow the lead of Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands by withdrawing its participation in the 2026 Eurovision contest.
In a statement made last December, SBS said of the boycotts: “Our position remains that, as a public broadcaster, making a decision to be involved based on the inclusion or exclusion of any country would undermine SBS’s editorial independence and impartiality.
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“SBS recognises and respects the deeply held views and concerns about the war in the Middle East and its impact, both locally among our audiences and internationally, as reflected by other broadcasters. Our responsibility is to provide comprehensive, trusted and impartial coverage for Australians across our network, and we will continue to do so.”
