Spaniards will be able to watch and vote in Eurovision 2026 despite Spain’s withdrawal, the first time in its history

Spain has never missed the Eurovision Song Contest since its debut in 1961, participating uninterruptedly in all editions, except for the 2020 edition, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although in 2026 it will not be protesting Israel’s war offensive on Gaza, Spaniards will be able to watch and vote in the contest.

Since the last edition, citizens of countries that are not part of the song festival could vote through the official website through a global system called ‘Rest of the World’. In this way, it allowed the votes to be counted in a group manner as if it were just another country. In exchange, they are not part of the professional jury.

The departure of the Festival means that RTVE will not broadcast the final of Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna (Austria) on May 16, nor the previous semifinals of the contest, which will take place on the 12th and 14th. However, followers of the format in Spain will be able to follow the festival through the live broadcast that the organization itself offers on its official YouTube channel.

Since its debut in 1961 with Conchita Bautista and the song ‘Estando siempre’, Spain has participated in 64 editions and has achieved two victories. The first of them was in London (United Kingdom) in 1968 with Massiel and the legendary ‘La La La’.

The following year, in Madrid, Salomé rose to the top again thanks to her performance of ‘Vivo Cantando’, although she shared the victory with the British Lulu, the Dutch Lenny Kuhr and the French Frida Boccara.

In its more than six decades in Eurovision, the Spanish delegation has also finished last place five times (1962, 1965, 1983, 1999, 2017) and has obtained ‘zero points’ three times (1962, 1965, 1983), according to RTVE data, collected by Europa Press.

Spain has also achieved high positions on several occasions: it came in second position in 1971, with Karina and ‘In a new world’; in 1973, with Mocedades and ‘Eres tú’; in 1979, with Betty Missiego and ‘Su canción’; and in 1995, with Anabel Conde and her song ‘Return with me’.

The Spanish candidacy came in third place in 1984 with Bravo and ‘Lady, Lady’ and in 2022 with Chanel Terrero and ‘SloMo’, being to date the highest score that Spain has obtained in a final with 459 points.

Among the representatives of Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest are the names of renowned artists such as Massiel, Salomé, Raphael, Julio Iglesias, Karina, Sergio Dalma, Azucar Moreno, Rosa López, Pastora Soler or Melody, among others.

With its withdrawal, Spain is no longer part of the group known as the ‘Big Five’, along with Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. These five countries go directly to the grand final of the contest without competing in the semifinals, because they are the largest contributors to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

It is not the first time that a country abandons Eurovision. Italy withdrew from the contest for 13 years. When he resumed his participation in 2011, he rejoined the group with his corresponding significant financial contribution. With this background, Spain could try to become one of the ‘Big Five’ again in the future.