Eurovision organisers announce updated contest rules that would bar a country involved in armed conflict from hosting the competition in the future. Reporting from multiple outlets says the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) implements the change following an annual review and frames it as a safety and event-impact measure.
The outlets describe the eligibility restriction in slightly different terms. One report says any country in an “armed conflict” is excluded from hosting. Another says winning broadcasters become ineligible if they are involved in armed conflict or in a “sensitive geopolitical situation” that could affect safety. Al Jazeera also notes that Israel, which hosted Eurovision in 2019, would fall under the new limitation, while still being able to compete.
In addition to the hosting rule, several sources report a separate change: the minimum age for competitors is raised to 18 on the day of a participant’s first rehearsal, up from 16. The coverage generally links the updates to broader geopolitical tensions and the contest’s ongoing expansion plans, including the move to include Canada.
