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The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest have announced a huge change to the rules ahead of the 2027 competition.
The annual music competition is set to return in May, with Bulgaria as hosts after Dara was crowned the winner of this year's event with her song Bangaranga.
But it's now been announced that new rules will mean that the 'winning broadcaster will automatically be ineligible to host' the competition if their state is involved in an 'armed conflict' or 'sensitive geopolitical situation'.
The changes were made after a review by Eurovision bosses, after rules around hosting were first called into question in 2022, when the United Kingdom stepped in to host on behalf of winners Ukraine, due to their conflict with Russia.
Israel's involvement in the contest has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, with Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia all boycotting the contest this year.
This year, Israel's contestant Noam Bettan was heavily booed by the audience in Austria during his performances in the semi-finals and the final.
The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest have announced a huge change to the rules, amid growing backlash over Israel's involvement (2025 entrant Noam Bettan pictured)
Outside the venue, Vienna became a focal point for large-scale demonstrations, with more than 1,000 musicians and cultural figures signing open letters urging organisers to bar Israel from the contest altogether.
Security was significantly tightened ahead of the final following days of unrest in the Austrian capital.
Despite the mounting pressure, Eurovision chiefs stood firm, defending Israel's inclusion and maintaining that the competition must remain 'neutral'.
While Israel had briefly led during the voting drama, the combined jury scores ultimately saw them slip into second place.
Scenes of jubilation erupted among the Bulgarian delegation as confetti poured from the ceiling, marking a landmark moment in the nation's Eurovision history.
Across the Austrian capital, pro-Palestine protesters took to the streets waving Palestinian flags and holding signs saying 'don't mention Palestine' and 'united by genocide' ahead of the final.
One protester, Viktoria Eibensteiner said: 'I think it's very important to show a symbol of Austria being against war crimes, about not offering a stage for Israeli crimes in Palestine, in Lebanon, wherever.
'So… we want to take a stance against genocide, against war crimes, and that's why we're here today, it's a celebration that serves to counteract the Eurovision Song Contest and the normalisation of war crimes.'
Israel's involvement in the contest has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, with Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia all boycotting the contest this year
Jamil Sawalmeh, the Country Director for ActionAid Palestine, said: 'Justice cannot be a song Europe sings for some and silences for others.
'As Eurovision takes centre stage across Europe today, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues, with Palestinians facing bombardment, forced displacement and deepening suffering, while the Israeli Government steps up its assault on Palestinian life and rights in the West Bank.'
The boycotts were a financial blow to Eurovision, which is funded largely by participating broadcasters, and to public broadcasters at a time when many are under financial pressure from government funding cuts and competition from social media.
Long a forum for good-natured and sometimes more pointed national rivalries, Eurovision has found it hard to separate pop and politics in recent years.
Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Tensions rose again after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed some 1,200 people, and Israel's subsequent campaign in Gaza that has left more than 70,000 people dead.
The last two Eurovision contests have seen pro-Palestinian protests both outside the venues and inside, forcing organisers to clamp down on political flag-waving.
Several performers and countries have called for the exclusion of Israel, which has competed in Eurovision since 1973, one of a few non-European countries to do so.
The 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year's event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests that called for Israel to be expelled over the conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza and allegations it ran a rule-breaking marketing campaign to get votes for its contestant after Israel finished second last year.
When organisers declined to kick Israel out, five countries announced in December that they would not participate this year.
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, has toughened voting rules in response to the vote-rigging allegations, halving the number of votes per person to 10 and tightening safeguards against 'suspicious or coordinated voting activity'.