Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed that it will neither send an act nor air the show, arguing that taking part would be incompatible with its responsibilities as a public service broadcaster during an ongoing conflict in which civilians are suffering heavily. They released a statement saying that their participation “remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza”. Spain’s RTVE, traditionally one of the key funding pillars of Eurovision, has echoed those concerns, stating that it cannot justify participation. At the same time, Israel is allowed to compete under the current circumstances. Dutch broadcaster Avrotros and RTV Slovenia have issued similar statements, formally aligning themselves with the boycott and stressing that their decisions are directed at states and institutions rather than individual performers.

Broadcasters behind the boycott point primarily to the war in Gaza, highlighting high civilian casualties, the humanitarian crisis and repeated calls from rights groups for stronger international pressure on Israel. They argue that sharing a stage with Israel in what is framed as a celebratory entertainment event risks normalising the conflict and undermining their own stance on human rights and international law. Some executives and commentators have also referred to earlier allegations about irregularities or possible unfair influence in Eurovision voting, saying these disputes have made it harder to claim that the contest is fully detached from political agendas.

The boycotts are not a first for the competition. In 1969, the UK, Spain, France and the Netherlands were declared joint winners after all securing 18 points. In response, Finland, Portugal, Norway and Sweden boycotted the contest the following year. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs Eurovision, introduced a tiebreak rule a year later. Another more politically motivated boycott was in 1975 and 1976, when Greece and Turkey boycotted the event after Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974.

The EBU has defended the decision to allow Israel to participate, describing the contest as a competition between independent broadcasters rather than between governments. The EBU points to planned voting reforms, including a stronger role for professional juries and stricter general oversight, as evidence that it is addressing concerns about fairness while keeping the event open to all eligible members. Major broadcasters such as the BBC and Austria’s ORF have publicly supported Israel’s continued participation, warning that exclusions based on foreign policy would politicise the event even further and could trigger boycotts in the opposite direction, deepening divisions in the Eurovision community.

Featured image credits: MrSilesian

Rolling Loud Rotterdam is hosted by Woo Ha! and will kick off in the summer of 2023 at the Rotterdam Ahoy venue, located in the heart of what is The Netherlands’ second largest city and one of Europe’s primary seaports.  With the announcement of more acts to follow, the Rotterdam event is schedules to take place on June 30th – July 1st, 2023.  You can check the line-up as it stands so far, and grab pre-sale tickets, here.

Travis Scott will go on to headline Rolling Sound Portugal, which, this year, takes to the picturesque beaches of Portimao on the Algarve coast as a venue.  With announcements of the full lineup for the event to follow soon, presale tickets are currently available here.  The festival will take place on 5th – 7th July, 2023.

2023 looks to be a busy year for Rolling Loud’s organizers, as in addition to the Rotterdam and Portugal dates, Rolling Loud has events planned for Thialand in April, and California in March.  The California event will be headlined by Travis Scott, Future, and Playboy Carti.  July will also see the eight annual Rolling Sound flagship event returning to Miami on July 21st – 23rd.

Check out footage of Travis Scott performing “Stargazing”, live at Miami’s Rolling Loud in 2019.

Since its inception in 2015 by founders Matt Zingler and Tariq Charif, Rolling loud has earned global acclaim from critics and festival-lovers alike, with Variety calling the event “The biggest hip-hop festival in the country”, and Forbes describing it as “a lifestyle brand. They are more than just the shows. They have built a community with their consumers and are building new channels to maintain continuity”.  The festival’s 2022 headliners in the flagship Miami event included the likes of Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar and Future.  September 2022 brought the first ever Rolling Loud Toronto, where Future was joined by Wizkid and Dave, and Rolling Loud New York, where Nicki Minaj, Asap Rocky and Future took headlining slots.

For full details on all of Rolling Loud’s upcoming 2023 events, check out their website here.