Belgrade queer groups urge Serbian broadcaster RTS to skip Eurovision 2027 if Israel competes

A group of queer and feminist organisations in Serbia has called on Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), the country’s public broadcaster and its Eurovision entrant, not to take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel competes, the Belgrade collective Kvir zbor (Queer Choir) announced.

The letters were sent to RTS director general Manja Grčić and the broadcaster’s management board. The signatories say RTS “should not participate in Eurovision as long as Israel is part of the competition, despite occupation, apartheid and genocide”, and point out that “last year five public broadcasters withdrew from participation”.

The letter is signed by Kvir zbor Beograda, Grupa IZAĐI, the Centre for Queer Studies, Grupa Kul.t, L* Communio, Talas TIRV, the Centre for Women’s Studies and BRINA.

A campaign that began in spring

The letter continues a campaign Kvir zbor ran around this year’s contest. In late April six collectives held a protest outside the RTS building in Belgrade, and in May Kvir zbor called for a boycott of the contest, organising an alternative programme of eleven events in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kruševac and Pančevo on the nights of the semi-finals and final. The broadcasters of Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Ireland and Iceland withdrew from the 2026 contest.

“Eurovision is extremely important for the queer community; LGBT+ people feel included there,” Vladan Đukanović of Kvir zbor told the Serbian outlet Mašina at the time, explaining why the group had spoken out. The international boycott initiative was backed by more than 140 LGBT+ organisations worldwide and more than 1,100 musicians and cultural workers.

Source: danas.rs, n1info.rs, masina.rs. English adaptation: gay-serbia.com.