Following the 95th EBU General Assembly, Belgium’s national broadcaster RTBF has confirmed its commitment to participate in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, Austria next May.
🇧🇪 RTBF WILL participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026
In a public statement, RTBF’s CEO, Jean-Paul Philippot has confirmed that the Belgian broadcaster will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 next May. However, he also highlights the concerns that still need to be addressed following the acceptance of the EBU’s decisions during the 95th EBU General Assembly.
“Our participation is therefore accompanied by a clear stance denouncing obstacles to freedom of information, demanding the protection of all citizens and journalists, and guaranteeing their safe presence in the field. Because culture is never entertainment detached from reality. Because public service broadcasting has a duty to remain true to humanity, editorial independence, and freedom.
The Eurovision Song Contest is one of those unique spaces, where diversity, inclusion and artistic freedom meet. Participating in Eurovision in 2026 cannot be done without looking at the world as it is, and without recalling that the duty to inform must be carried out independently, that of giving the citizens the tools to decipher the issues of the world is an essential democratic foundation.”
Jean-Paul Philippot, (CEO of RTBF)
Meanwhile, VRT who alternates Eurovision responsibility biannually with RTBF, has also confirmed it will broadcast next years’ contest.
During the General Assembly all EBU members were invited to vote on the recently announced rule changes proposed by the EBU. These included the return of juries to the Semi-Finals, a reduction in the number of votes from 20 to 10 and strong safeguards to the voting procedures and abilities of governments to campaign for entries. The new rules passed the vote with 738 votes in favour of the new measures, 264 against and 120 abstentions.
This news comes following the shock withdrawals of Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia.
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