Austrian public broadcaster to allow Palestinian flags at Eurovision

Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is organizing the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, does not intend to ban Palestinian flags and will not mute booing during the show.

As reported by Ukrinform, Die Presse stated this, citing the contest organizers in Vienna, Austria.

“We will allow all official flags that exist in the world,” said ORF Executive Producer Michael Krön.

According to him, flags will only have to comply with certain size limits and safety requirements. “If it were up to me, we would not embellish anything, because our task is to show what is there,” he added.

ORF Program Director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz added that booing during performances would not be artificially covered with added applause. Earlier, the organizers announced that 35 countries would take part in the 70th edition of the song contest. Five countries—Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands—have withdrawn from participation in protest against Israel’s participation.

As reported by Ukrinform, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced changes to the voting rules at the Eurovision Song Contest aimed at strengthening trust and transparency. In the semi-finals, the same voting system as in the final will be introduced—a “50–50” model. Half of the points will be awarded based on audience voting, and the other half based on the jury vote.

Illustrative photo: AA