Spain confirms participation in Junior Eurovision 2026, having withdrawn from adult contest over Israel's presence

Spain's public broadcaster, RTVE, has confirmed its participation in the 2026 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The children's version of the music festival will feature a Spanish delegation among the 16 countries competing in the final on October 24 in Ta'Qali, Malta.

This announcement comes after RTVE withdrew Spain from the most recent adult Eurovision competition. The broadcaster cited Israel's participation amid the ongoing "genocide in Gaza" and alleged past rule violations by the Israeli delegation as reasons for its withdrawal.

Notably, Israel does not have a representative in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. RTVE highlighted Spain's founding role in the children's festival in 2003 and its participation in 11 previous editions.

The list of participating broadcasters for the upcoming edition includes Albania, Armenia, Cyprus, Spain, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, North Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, and Ukraine. The event will be hosted in Malta after France declined due to budgetary concerns, despite winning the 2025 contest.