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Malta’s Culture Minister Owen Bonnici has confirmed that the country will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, regardless of whether Israel is included in the line-up.
Speaking on Thursday, Bonnici underlined Malta’s commitment to the contest as part of its cultural outreach, making clear that no boycott is planned. The statement comes as several European broadcasters — including Spain’s RTVE and Ireland’s RTÉ — have declared they will withdraw from next year’s competition if Israel is allowed to participate.
At the same time, the Maltese shadow minister for culture Julie Zahra (yes that Julie) has called on Malta to boycott the next edition of the contest if Israel takes part. She suggested any funds that would have been used could be allocated to Maltese artists, to ensure that the boycott does not ultimately hurt them.
Malta’s entry will once again be selected through the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, which is expected to take place early in 2026. Submission rules and dates have not yet been published, but the broadcaster is expected to provide further details in the coming weeks.
By taking a firm stance now, Malta joins France and Australia in signalling unconditional participation in Vienna. That contrasts with the conditional positions adopted by other broadcasters, leaving the final line-up of competing nations still in flux ahead of the EBU’s December deadline for withdrawals without penalty.
Eurovision 2026 takes place on 12 and 14 May (semi-finals) and 16 May (grand final) at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle.
Source: LovinMalta, Eurovoix
