Flags from any state not represented in the competition are not allowed, including the flag of the European Union. The only exception to this rule is the rainbow LGBTQ+ flag.
As Eurovision 2024 kicked off in Malmö, Sweden, on May 7, tensions ran high as Swedish former Eurovision contestant Eric Saade — whose father is Palestinian — wore a kaffiyeh (a headdress that is a symbol of Palestinian resistance) on his wrist during his semifinal performance. Organizers of the annual event admonished him, saying in a statement: "We regret that Eric Saade chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event."
(Reuters)
Similarly, Ireland's 2024 contestant, nonbinary "ouija-pop" star Bambie Thug, told reporters on May 7 that they had written "ceasefire" and "freedom for Palestine" in an ancient Celtic writing known as Ogham on their face during dress rehearsals but were "ordered" to remove the writing for the semifinal performance.
Eurovision, officially known as the Eurovision Song Contest, has famously and historically claimed to be nonpolitical, as seen on the competition's official website:
NON-POLITICAL EVENT
The ESC is a non-political event. All Participating Broadcasters, including the Host Broadcaster, shall be responsible to ensure that all necessary measures are undertaken within in their respective Delegations and teams to safeguard the interests and the integrity of the ESC and to make sure that the ESC shall in no case be politicized and/or instrumentalized and/or otherwise brought into disrepute in any way.
Given that Eurovision is a contest won and lost along national lines, critics have called this claim into question over the decades since its inception in 1956. For example, one day after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Eurovision — which is organized by the European Broadcasting Union — banned Russia from competing, with the Eurovision chief citing "ultimate values of democracy."
In spring 2024, calls for a boycott of the international event gained traction due to claims that Eurovision banned Palestinian flags and symbols from the event, which began on May 7, 2024, and was to continue through May 11, 2024. Calls for a boycott came as Israel entered its eighth month of a declared war on Hamas following the militant group's attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in which it killed approximately 1,200 Israelis. As of this writing, Israel had killed more than 30,000 people and injured 72,889 in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the United Nations.
So has Eurovision really banned Palestinian flags and symbols? The short answer is yes.
TT, a Swedish news agency, reported that "anyone who tries to bring a Palestinian flag or a sign with a political message will be stopped at the entrance by guards," according to The Associated Press. The EBU reserves the right "to remove any other flags or symbols, clothing, items and banners being used for the likely purpose of instrumentalizing the TV shows," according to Michelle Roverelli, head of communications for the EBU. While this information is not available on either the Eurovision or the EBU website, the AP reported that Roverelli confirmed this via text message. In a New York Times story published May 2, 2024, a spokesperson for the EBU said that "ticket buyers at this year's Eurovision Song Contest are allowed to bring and display only flags representing the 37 participating countries." We've reached out to the EBU via email to confirm this information.
Israel has been a longstanding participant in the event; it was the first country outside of Europe to be admitted as a contestant in 1973. Since then, Israel has hosted Eurovision three times (in 1979, 1999 and 2019) and won it on four occasions (in 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018). Additionally, since 2020, Eurovision's "presenting partner" has been Israeli beauty company Moroccanoil.
(eurovision.tv)
Eurovision denied Israel's song submission for the 2024 competition, "October Rain," for being too political, as it referenced Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Eden Golan, the Russian-Israeli representative of Israel for Eurovision 2024, planned to perform an altered version of the song, titled "Hurricane," instead.
Technically, any state that is an active member of the European Broadcasting Union is eligible to compete. Palestine has never competed in Eurovision and was not a member of the EBU in 2024, although it was formerly an associate member.
The flag of Palestine — recognized as a sovereign state by 142 of the 193 member states of the United Nations — is not the only flag banned at Eurovision. Flags from any state not represented in the competition are not allowed, including the flag of the European Union. The only exception to this rule is the rainbow LGBTQ+ flag.
What is the History of Banned Flags at Eurovision?
An internal document accidentally published online ahead of 2016's competition included examples of banned flags, according to CBC News.
(That year, Eurovision threatened Armenia's contestant, singer Iveta Mukuchyan, with disqualification and threatened Armenia with sanctions for waving the flag of Nagorno-Karabakh (known by many as Artsakh) — an ethnically Armenian region that Azerbaijan controls — during a qualifying event.
When Tel Aviv, Israel, hosted Eurovision in 2019, Icelandic representative band Hatari waved flags with the colors of the flag of Palestine at the end of their performance. Eurovision fined Icelandic broadcaster RÚV 5,000 euros, and the official Eurovision 2019 DVD censored the moment.
(EurovisionWorld.com)
In the months leading up to Eurovision 2024, Palestinian pop singer Bashar Murad hoped to represent Iceland with a song he co-wrote with Einar Stéfansson, one of Hatari's members. Murad made it through the semifinals, qualifying for the final, but ultimately he placed second to artist Hera Björk, who represented Iceland at Eurovision 2024 and did not make it past the semifinal competition.
Ahead of Eurovision 2024, nine country's contestants – Bambie Thug of Ireland, Gåte of Norway, Iolanda of Portugal, Megara of Spain, Nemo of Switzerland, Olly Alexander of the United Kingdom, Saba of Denmark, Silvester Belt of Lithuania and Windows95Man of Finland — all signed a statement calling for an "immediate and lasting ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages."
In response to a question about people boycotting Eurovision in 2024 due to Israel's allowed participation, the contest's FAQ page states:
We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East but the Eurovision Song Contest's values of universality, inclusivity and celebrating diversity through music have never been more important. Hundreds of millions around the world share those values and engaged with the event on television and online in 2023. We look forward to being "United By Music" again this year.
We've previously debunked a satirical claim that Palestine was granted permission to compete in Eurovision 2019.