Nemo returns his ESC trophy and boycotts the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Five countries have already canceled their participation in Vienna.
The ESC 2026 is facing considerable difficulties; several countries have already announced their boycott of the competition. Now last year’s winner is also making a clear statement. The organizers are trying to smooth things over with the fans.
Trophy returned because of Israel
After several countries have already officially announced their boycott due to Israel’s expected participation, the Swiss ESC star Nemo is now also speaking out. Last year’s winner announced that he wanted to return his trophy from 2024. In a statement on Instagram, he said: “The issue is the fact that the competition has been repeatedly used to improve the image of a state accused of serious misconduct.”
The 26-year-old specifically pointed out that an investigative commission had come to the conclusion that Israel’s authorities and security forces had committed genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Conflict between EBU values and decisions
According to the organizers of the ESC, the central values of the event are unity, inclusion and dignity. Nemo took a clear stance and said that the European Broadcasting Union’s decisions were in clear conflict with these values.
Israel’s foreign minister categorically rejected the UN body’s accusation and instead accused the Palestinian Hamas of genocide against Israel.
Several countries are already boycotting
It’s not just the reigning ESC winner who wants to boycott the event. Last week, the EBU member broadcasters confirmed Israel’s participation in the ESC. As a result, broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland announced that they would boycott the ESC 2026 in Vienna.
Nemo had announced that it would send the trophy back to the EBU in Geneva. He said: “If the values we celebrate on stage are not lived off stage, even the most beautiful songs become meaningless.”
Organizers are trying to appease fans
ESC director Martin Green addressed fans of the competition in a letter. He knows that the circumstances in the Middle East in connection with the ESC would trigger emotions in many. Many fans expressed pain and anger in letters about the silence surrounding the tragic events. “I want to say that we hear you. We understand your feelings and we feel the same way,” Green’s letter said.
The ESC boss also addressed the five boycotting countries. “All of us here respect her position and decision,” he wrote. Nevertheless, he hopes that the nations will return to competition soon. It went on to say that in a divided world, the competition had the task of “offering a space in which millions of people can celebrate what they have in common.”