Artists Ask: Keep Politics Out
- At the London Eurovision Party, several participating acts told AP they prefer music over politics. - Performers were recorded saying the contest should focus on “spreading love” and artistic exchange. - AP’s video coverage captured these comments as the broader contest faces political pressure and public debate. (apnews.com)
Artists at the London Eurovision Party on April 19 said they want the 2026 contest judged as music, not as a proxy fight over politics. (apnews.com) The comments came during AP interviews at HERE at Outernet in London, one of Eurovision’s main pre-parties before the May contest in Vienna. Organizers billed the April 19 event as the 17th London Eurovision Party and listed acts from more than 20 countries on the lineup. (apnews.com) (ldneurovision.com) AP’s video report said several participating acts called for the event to focus on “spreading love” and artistic exchange rather than national disputes. The clip was published April 20, one month before Eurovision week in Austria. (apnews.com) (uk.news.yahoo.com) That plea lands in a contest that has spent the past two years fending off arguments over neutrality, participation and voting. The European Broadcasting Union said in July 2025 that members had discussed Eurovision in an “increasingly complex global context.” (ebu.ch) The European Broadcasting Union also says Eurovision is governed by a non-political principle. In earlier statements, the union called the contest an “international entertainment show” and said artists come to share music and culture, while broadcaster participation decisions are made by the union’s governing bodies. (ebu.ch) (eurovision.tv) The 2026 contest is set for Vienna, with 35 songs already posted on the official Eurovision site and semifinal running orders already released in mid-April. The official site is also promoting Vienna 2026 merchandise and event coverage under the longtime slogan “United By Music.” (eurovision.tv 1) (eurovision.tv 2) Organizers have already changed parts of the contest ahead of Vienna. In November 2025, the European Broadcasting Union announced tighter voting limits, the return of professional juries to semifinals, and new safeguards against coordinated or fraudulent voting. (ebu.ch) London’s pre-party exists to do the opposite of that procedural wrangling: put artists in one room before rehearsals begin. The event’s own website says performers use it to promote their songs, meet other delegations and socialize “often for the first time.” (ldneurovision.com) So the message from the AP interviews was narrow and direct: let the singers sing, and let the contest stay on the music stage a little longer. (apnews.com)
