Several countries have threatened to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 if Israel is allowed to participate. And yesterday EBU has called its member countries to an extraordinary meeting in November to vote on whether Israel should be allowed to participate in Vienna next May.
In light of that SVT’s Kulturnyheterna (culture news section) pressed SVT CEO Anne Lagercrantz for a comment. Lagercrantz says that SVT seeks certain guarantees, but does not want to take a position on the issue of Israel’s participation.
“SVT is independent”
Kulturnyheterna has repeatedly contacted SVT’s CEO Anne Lagercrantz to ask how SVT views Sweden’s participation in the competition.
Now Lagercrantz responds in an email. Any threat of boycott in relation to Israel’s participation is not an issue, she writes.
“Many people want to know where SVT stands. SVT is independent – that is one of our cornerstones. We do not take a political position. It is we and no one else who makes the decision about our participation in ESC and the choices we make should not be interpreted as a position for or against any other country’s public service broadcaster or for or against any other country’s participation.”
Three fundamental conditions
Anne Lagercrantz highlights three “fundamental conditions” for the competition. They are described as important for how SVT will act.
She writes that broad European support for the competition is needed. The safety of participants and spectators must be guaranteed and the competition should, as far as possible, be apolitical in accordance with EBU rules.
“We understand that many people want an immediate answer to what SVT will do and there are many opinions about what is the right way. SVT’s participation is conditional on the basic conditions being in place. We will therefore spend time listening to the EBU and other member companies.
It is to show respect both for a difficult issue and for a beautiful idea of a cultural arena that wants to unite people through music.”
Interestingly enough those are the same three conditions with almost the same wording that Danish broadcaster DR laid out a week ago, suggesting that the Scandinavian broadcasters are in coordination or at least aligning their views on the matter with each other.
Took a stand against Russia 2022
Anne Lagercrantz emphasizes that it is public service broadcasters, not countries, that compete in Eurovision.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, SVT’s then CEO Hanna Stjärne came out and called on the EBU to exclude Russia from the competition. Kulturnyheterna asked the current CEO Lagercrantz in that regard:
– In what way is there a difference now?
“Because the Russian public service companies are part of the state. They are part of Putin’s propaganda machine. They are not independent.”
– There was a different consensus in the West that Russia’s war in Ukraine is wrong. Was it easier for SVT to take a position then?
“The public service companies are part of the Russian state and a propaganda machine. So in that way you could possibly say it’s easier.”
Melodifestivalen 2026
The traditional Melodifestivalen has already been announced for 2026 in six cities, with the final taking place as usual in Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena on 7 March. 3,888 songs have been submitted for the Swedish musical juggernaut and the artists will be revealed in mid-late November 2025.
