Eden Golan, a performer who represented Israel at Eurovision 2024. (Jessica Gow/TT News Agency)
Music and politics are often connected, with many songs serving as political messages. From songs like Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan, which protest war and perceived inequality, to Freedom by Beyoncé, which addresses racial injustice and advocates for empowerment, music artists often use their platforms to confront perceived injustices and give voice to collective struggles. Throughout history, music has served as a tool of activism, as well as a target for authoritarian governments like that of Nazi Germany and modern-day Iraq to try to suppress it. With the expansion of media outreach in the 21st century, music as protest can better reach global audiences and advocate for change across borders.
Eurovision, one of the world’s largest music competitions, serves as a platform for countries to showcase their music traditions. Even though the competition’s organizer, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), publicly states that it officially upholds the rule of “political neutrality,” the Eurovision stage is often used by performers as a vessel for political debate.
Eurovision has grown into one of the most iconic music spectacles in the Eastern Hemisphere, growing from just seven countries participating in 1956 to 37 in 2025. This expansion not only reflects the advancements made to global broadcasting but also the influx of new countries that emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
In 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EBU announced that no Russian act would be allowed to participate in Eurovision, claiming that a Russian performance would “bring the competition into disrepute.” Russia’s exclusion generated a governmental response, as officials framed the ban as an attack on national culture and an example of Western bias rather than a reflection of citizens losing a platform for expression. In retaliation, Russian state media later announced the creation of ‘Intervision’, a Kremlin-backed alternative to Eurovision designed to showcase artists from non-Western countries. The European Parliament claimed in a January 2025 resolution that the Russian government has used widespread disinformation, including distorted historical arguments, reflecting concerns brought up in the EBU’s decision as a way to “incite the Russian population to support its…war of aggression against neighbouring Ukraine [and] to interfere in the democratic processes of other countries.”
Even though Russia has been banned from Eurovision, Israel has been allowed to continue participating in the contest despite its continued conflict with Hamas since October 7th, 2023. Unlike Russia, Israel meets the European Broadcasting Union’s eligibility requirements – meaning it is a member of the European Broadcasting Union and has an active national broadcaster. Israel’s membership is what allows it to compete under the contest’s established rules even amidst conflict. While some adjustments were made to Eden Golan and Yuval Raphael’s performances to ensure they remained politically neutral at last year’s and the previous year’s contest—such as changing Golan’s song title from October Rain to Hurricane and revising certain lyrics—both artists still used the Eurovision stage to convey messages of hope and unity.
As Richard Wennberg of the Center for Strategic & International Studies notes, Eurovision “provides an annual opportunity for friends and family to come together in celebration of Europe’s cultural, linguistic, and musical diversity,” yet it has also faced “withdrawals over ideological disagreements … and, in some cases, the outright exclusion of countries.” While the European Broadcasting Union insists the event is apolitical, Wennberg argues that performances have often “subtly incorporate[d] political themes or references.”
