The Eurovision Song Contest has today (August 12) announced rule changes for countries at war during the competition.

Organisers have announced that if a country involved in an armed conflict wins the competition, it will be ineligible to host the competition the following year. The rules also add that countries could also be disqualified if “a sensitive geopolitical situation” affects the “security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region.”

The new rules state that “where deemed necessary” the EBU, which organises Eurovision, “may commission an independent security assessment of the winner’s region.”

It added: “Following that assessment, the EBU will consult the Reference Group to determine whether the winning member is able to safely host the Contest.”

If the winning country is found to be unsafe to host, the EBU will then select an alternative broadcaster to run the show. They added that they “will not be required to stage the event on behalf of another member”.

Back in 2023, the BBC worked in conjunction with its Ukrainian broadcast counterpart to reflect the country’s heritage in the contest when they held the competition in Liverpool after Ukraine’s win the previous year. Due to the ongoing conflict, it was deemed too unsafe to hold the competition in Ukraine.

It comes after this year’s contest once again proved fraught with controversy, with several countries – Ireland, Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland and Spain – boycotting the event in protest at Israel’s inclusion, despite the nation’s military action in Gaza.

Ahead of the competition earlier this year, Amnesty International called for Israel to be suspended from the contest, and criticised the EBU for not suspending the country like it did with Russia in 2022 due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

“The failure of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to suspend Israel from Eurovision, as it did with Russia, is an act of cowardice and an illustration of blatant double standards when it comes to Israel”, said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard.

“Instead of sending a clear message that there is a cost for Israel’s atrocity crimes against the Palestinian people, the EBU has given Israel this international stage even as it continues to commit genocide in Gaza, unlawful occupation, and apartheid. The EBU is betraying the values of the Eurovision Song Contest, which include freedom from intolerance, hate speech, and discrimination”.

Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations of waging genocide, and denies committing any war crimes, maintaining that its operations are lawful acts of self-defence following Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens at the Nova Music Festival on October 7 2023, which killed over 1,100 people and saw 250 taken as hostages.

Pressure to exclude Israel from the competition has also come from No Music For Genocide, who issued an open letter signed by over 1,100 cultural workers and artists, calling for fans to boycott this year’s Eurovision unless Israel is banned from participating.

The open letter was first shared on April 21, and featured signatures from Brian Eno, Massive Attack, Paloma Faith, Paul Weller, Kneecap, Hot Chip, Of Monsters and Men, IDLES, Primal Scream, Sigur Rós, Young Fathers, Mogwai, Black Country New Road, Erika de Casier, Nadine Shah, Dry Cleaning, Ólafur Arnalds, David Holmes, Nemahsis, Macklemore, Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel, Vacations, Smerz, a number of former Eurovision finalists, and more.

Elsewhere, other rule changes to Eurovision will see the minimum age to participate increased from 16 to 18. It has also clarified rules on backing tracks, with Eurovision stating that any track must not “unduly assist” the singer(s) on stage.

They added: “The clarification is intended to protect the integrity of each performance and to ensure the audience always hears the lead vocals on each song performed live.”

Commenting on the updated rules, Eurovision director Martin Green said: “These changes are about giving everyone involved greater clarity, protecting artists and ensuring the Contest continues to provide a safe and welcoming environment, while preserving the spirit and integrity that make the Eurovision Song Contest so special.”

Next year’s contest will be held in Bulgaria, after their entry Dara won the 2026 edition with her ‘Bangaranga.’

Last month, it was announced that Canada would enter the competition for the first time.