The Eurovision Song Contest will no longer allow winning countries involved in war to host the competition, the European Broadcasting Union announced on Wednesday.
Under the new rules taking effect from 2027, a victorious broadcaster will be automatically ineligible to host if an armed conflict, sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other crisis significantly affects the safety or stability of its state or immediate region.
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international music competition produced by the European Broadcasting Union, an alliance of public service media organizations. Since its inception in 1956, the contest has grown into one of the world's most watched non-sporting television events, traditionally granting the winning nation the privilege of hosting the subsequent year's show.
Independent security assessments
According to an official statement issued on August 12 by member public service broadcasters of the Geneva-based union, the organization will now have explicit authority to mandate an independent security evaluation in a winner's region whenever deemed necessary.
Following the outcome of any such evaluation, the international co-production team will consult the executive committee to determine whether the winning country is genuinely in a position to stage the event safely.
If a winning member is judged incapable of hosting, the union will select an alternative host country. The designated replacement nation will organize and present the competition in its own name, rather than being required to stage the event on behalf of the winning broadcaster.
Recent contest controversies and boycotts
While the union's official statement did not explicitly name any specific country, the decision follows heightened tension around recent competitions. Israel finished in second place in both 2025 and 2026, coming close to winning the massive television talent show.
Five participating countries, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland, boycotted the edition held in Vienna, Austria. The historic boycott marked the first time member broadcasters refused to take part alongside Israel, citing opposition to its military campaign in the Gaza Strip following the October 7, 2023 attacks by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Previous host venue relocations
The updated framework addresses long-standing challenges regarding venue selection during active geopolitical conflicts. Ukraine previously hosted Eurovision in its capital, Kyiv, in 2017, despite an ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the country that began in 2014 with pro-Russian separatists supported by Moscow.
When Ukraine won the contest again in 2022, Kyiv was unable to stage the 2023 event due to safety risks following Russia's full-scale invasion. As a result, the competition was relocated to Liverpool in the United Kingdom, where British broadcasters produced the show on Ukraine's behalf.
