Musicians hold Palestine solidarity concerts to protest Israel's Eurovision spot

In an ornate Brussels concert hall, Palestinian songwriter Bashar Murad delivered a poignant performance of Nina Simone’s "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," sung in both English and Arabic. The mournful rendition on Tuesday evening, which concluded to an erupting audience, was a powerful statement against Israel’s participation in this week’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The performance formed part of a growing protest movement, fuelled by anger over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and other regions. As the annual pop music competition, marking its 70th anniversary, sees performers from 35 countries compete, five nations, including Spain and Ireland, are boycotting the kitschy extravaganza. Ten countries, among them Israel and favourite Finland, secured places in Saturday's final, under the contest’s motto, "United by Music."

Across Europe, alternative concerts are taking place, including the "United for Palestine" event in Brussels, where European musicians joined Murad and other Palestinian artists. Murad, who nearly represented Iceland in 2024, expressed the solidarity felt: "It’s always amazing to be in the same room with people who believe in the same things as you and people who believe that we can’t just let the show go on."

Palestinian singer-songwriter and video artis Nai Barghouti sings during a United for Palestine anti-Eurovision concert in Brussels AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert

His parents, with his father a founding member of the influential Palestinian music group Sabreen, had previously petitioned the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs Eurovision, to admit Palestine to the contest in 2007, albeit unsuccessfully.

Israel, a participant since 1973 with four wins, has historically gained significant visibility from the high-profile event that champions diversity. Many Israelis contend they are being unfairly ostracised by the boycotts and protests.

However, Amnesty International’s secretary general, Agnès Callamard, has called for Israel’s exclusion, drawing parallels to Russia’s expulsion in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "Songs and sequins must not be allowed to drown out or distract from Israel’s atrocities or Palestinian suffering," she stated.

The contention surrounding Israel’s place in the contest has intensified amid widespread outrage over the conflict in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, and Iran, prompting massive popular protests and discussions among European Union politicians regarding new sanctions.

Belgian singer and actress Laura Tesoro sings during a United for Palestine anti-Eurovision concert in BrusselsAP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Katrien De Ruysscher, founder of the activist group SOS Gaza, which organised the Brussels event alongside rights group 11.11.11, affirmed: "We have to create an alternative because the participation of Israel is problematic."

Previous Eurovision contests in Malmo, Sweden (2024), and Basel, Switzerland (last year), were also met with pro-Palestinian protests demanding Israel’s expulsion, alongside allegations that the Israeli government had violated contest rules to support its contestant.

While the EBU tightened voting rules in response to these allegations, it declined to remove Israel from the competition. This decision spurred five countries – Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland – to boycott. Israel’s President Isaac Herzog welcomed the EBU’s stance at the time, stating that "Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world."

Organisers of the Brussels concert confirmed that similar alternative events are being held in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Italy, and Spain. Spanish public television, which has historically broadcast Eurovision, plans to air an alternative programme on Saturday evening.

Titled "La Casa de la Música," it will serve as a "tribute to the musical legacy" of the broadcaster, also marking its 70th anniversary, featuring performances by 20 veteran and newcomer musicians, including winners of the Spanish contest, Benidorm Fest, who would typically have proceeded to Eurovision.

Belgian singer Gustaph sings during a United for Palestine anti-Eurovision concert in BrusselsAP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert

Despite these efforts, none of the alternative events are expected to draw an audience comparable to Eurovision, which attracted 166 million viewers in 2025 and continues to captivate enthusiastic fans this year.

Murad, the Palestinian musician, expressed hope that these alternative gatherings might prompt reflection on the pop cultural juggernaut’s original mission to unite people through song.

"The purpose of these alternative programs that are happening is to remind Eurovision what it’s actually about and to try to hopefully bring it back, to correct its course and make it actually live up to the things that it claims to be about," he said. "A lot of people in the world feel that the competition has lost its meaning."