The Eurovision Song Contest grand final took place Saturday in Vienna amid heightened security and protests, with several countries boycotting the competition over Israel's participation in the wake of the Gaza conflict.

Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland withdrew from the 70th edition of the contest after the European Broadcasting Union confirmed Israel would be allowed to compete. Spain announced its boycott in December, with the country's public broadcaster RTVE citing opposition to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

The boycotts have disrupted traditional viewing patterns in participating countries. In Spain, many fans who typically gather for viewing parties opted to skip the event entirely or watch alone via YouTube streams. RTVE aired alternative programming instead of the competition, including a tribute to the network's musical history featuring Tony Grox and Lucycalys, who would have represented Spain.

The absence of boycotting countries was noticeable both in viewership and attendance. Eurovision drew 166 million viewers last year, significantly more than Super Bowl audiences in the United States. Spain is among the 'Big Five' countries that contribute the most financially to Eurovision, making their withdrawal particularly impactful for broadcasting rights revenue.

Israel has competed in Eurovision for 50 years and won four times. Eurovision organizers maintain the competition is between national broadcasters rather than governments and prohibit overtly political lyrics or symbols. The European Broadcasting Union previously disqualified Russia in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.

Fans of the boycotting countries expressed mixed feelings about the decision. Some supporters viewed the boycott as taking a necessary moral stand, while others argued music and politics should remain separate. International fans attending the Vienna event noted the reduced presence of Spanish participants, traditionally among the most visible and enthusiastic attendees.