Ireland confirmed to air beloved sitcom instead of Eurovision as boycott continues

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This weekend, Ireland’s public broadcaster, RTÉ, will show an episode of the comedy series Father Ted instead of the Eurovision Song Contest final. This decision is due to the ongoing protest against Israel’s involvement in the competition.

This Saturday night, May 16th, RTÉ will broadcast a special Eurovision episode of Father Ted called “A Song For Europe.” In it, Father Ted and Dougal perform their song, “My Lovely Horse,” but don’t receive any points.

Ireland has chosen not to participate in the competition, joining Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain in a boycott prompted by Israel’s involvement.

Even though Iceland and the Netherlands won’t send performers to the competition, they still plan to broadcast Eurovision. However, Ireland, along with broadcasters in Slovenia and Spain, are boycotting the event entirely and won’t show it on television.

RTÉ will broadcast alternative programs during the first and second Eurovision semi-finals, which take place on Tuesday and Thursday.

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The Eurovision Song Contest has received a lot of criticism for letting Israel compete this year, given the current war happening in Gaza.

Several countries are choosing not to participate in the contest this year because the organization in charge, the European Broadcasting Union, decided against banning Israel from competing.

During a meeting in December 2025, the European Broadcasting Union voted to implement rules preventing governments or outside groups from unfairly boosting certain songs to sway voting results. However, they did not vote on whether Israel would be allowed to participate in the competition.

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The European Broadcasting Union announced that most of its members agreed that another vote on whether to participate wasn’t necessary. They confirmed that the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will go ahead as scheduled, with extra safety measures added.

Okay, so the lineup for Eurovision is already starting to look a little different. I’m getting word that Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland have all decided to sit this year out. It’s a shame to see some familiar faces missing, and definitely changes the dynamic of the competition.

Ireland’s public broadcaster, RTÉ, has decided not to participate in this year’s contest, stating that it doesn’t feel right given the tragic loss of life and ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which continues to endanger civilians.

The BBC, the UK broadcaster of the competition, stated it backs the EBU’s decision. According to a BBC statement, this is a matter of upholding the competition’s rules and ensuring inclusivity.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can find a complete list of Eurovision winners, and see how many times the United Kingdom has been victorious in the competition.

Authors

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss writes about the newest happenings in TV, movies, and other entertainment for TopMob. She has a Master’s degree in Journalism and has also contributed to major news outlets like The Guardian, The Times, and The Sun Online.

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2026-05-12 18:36