Levante sparks crisis for Sanremo with pledge to boycott Eurovision over inclusion of Israel.Italy's Sanremo Music Festival, the biggest annual event in Italian pop culture, has become mired in a controversy involving the participation of Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest.Traditionally, the winner of Sanremo is given the chance to represent Italy at the Eurovision which this year will take place in the Austrian capital Vienna from 12-16 May. However the Sicilian singer-songwriter Levante, one of the 30 Italian artists competing in Sanremo next month, has declared that even if she were to win the festival, she would refuse the invitation to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026. Levante cited the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza as her primary motivation, telling news agency Adnkronos: "It is an event that is much more politicised than people think. Since a country that has recently created giant dramas and an ongoing genocide is involved, one cannot pretend nothing is happening." The stance by Levante, who performed at Sanremo in 2020 and 2023, marks the first time a contestant has preemptively rejected the international stage for ethical reasons before the competition has even begun. Levante's boycott pledge has created a headache for Sanremo organisers and Italy's state broadcaster RAI, which last December gave its support for Israel’s participation in the Eurovision and confirmed that Italy would compete in the annual event. The decision came after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) general assembly approved Israel’s entry for the 70th edition of the contest, following boycott calls as a form of protest against Israel's participation. Five countries - Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain - subsequently pulled out in protest over the inclusion of Israel, citing its war on Gaza. Former two-time Sanremo winner Marco Mengoni has also expressed support for the countries' boycott of the event. RAI is reportedly anxious to avoid a repeat of the "Olly case" from last year, when the winner declined to represent Italy at the Eurovision, or the diplomatic fallout seen in 2024 following Ghali’s "stop genocide" appeal. In an attempt to manage the situation, RAI executives are reportedly conducting an informal "survey" to ascertain the stance of all 30 Sanremo contestants. The goal is to determine who would be willing to go to Vienna and who would not, in order to "not waste time" and prepare a backup plan should the winner decline the spot. In an effort to balance public discourse around the controversy, several RAI board members have formally proposed that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) allow a Palestinian artist to perform as a non-competitive guest. The proposal, which does not call for Israel’s disqualification, is framed as a cultural initiative and a sign of civic responsibility and dialogue rather than a political statement. Sanremo 2026 is scheduled to take place from 24-28 February, later than usual, to avoid a major scheduling conflict with the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held from 6-22 February. Photo credit: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com.

Italy's , the biggest annual event in Italian pop culture, has become mired in a controversy involving the participation of Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. Traditionally, the winner of Sanremo is given the chance to represent Italy at the Eurovision which this year will take place in the Austrian capital Vienna from 12-16 May. However the Sicilian singer-songwriter Levante, one of the 30 Italian artists competing in Sanremo next month, has declared that even if she were to win the festival, she would refuse the invitation to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026. Levante cited the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza as her primary motivation, telling news agency Adnkronos: "It is an event that is much more politicised than people think. Since a country that has recently created giant dramas and an ongoing genocide is involved, one cannot pretend nothing is happening." The stance by Levante, who performed at Sanremo in 2020 and 2023, marks the first time a contestant has preemptively rejected the international stage for ethical reasons before the competition has even begun. Levante's boycott pledge has created a headache for Sanremo organisers and Italy's state broadcaster RAI, which last December  and confirmed that Italy would compete in the annual event. The decision came after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) general assembly approved Israel’s entry for the 70th edition of the contest, following boycott calls as a form of protest against Israel's participation. Five countries - Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain - subsequently pulled out in protest over the inclusion of Israel, citing its war on Gaza. Former has also expressed support for the countries' boycott of the event. RAI is reportedly anxious to avoid a repeat of from last year, when the winner declined to represent Italy at the Eurovision, or the diplomatic fallout seen in 2024 following Ghali’s "stop genocide" appeal. In an attempt to manage the situation, RAI executives are reportedly conducting an informal "survey" to ascertain the stance of all 30 Sanremo contestants. The goal is to determine who would be willing to go to Vienna and who would not, in order to "not waste time" and prepare a backup plan should the winner decline the spot. In an effort to balance public discourse around the controversy, several RAI board members have formally proposed that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) allow a Palestinian artist to perform as a non-competitive guest. The proposal, which does not call for Israel’s disqualification, is framed as a cultural initiative and a sign of civic responsibility and dialogue rather than a political statement. Sanremo 2026 is scheduled to take place from 24-28 February, later than usual, to avoid a major scheduling conflict with the , which will be held from 6-22 February. Photo credit: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com.