Macklemore performing on stage at Rock In Rio Lisbon, in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 22, 2024. Photo: Nuno Cruz via Reuters Connect

More than 1,000 musicians have signed a new open letter calling for a boycott of next month’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, in protest of Israel’s participation.

The open letter was published by the campaign group No Music for Genocide, and it was signed by several prominent artists, including Roger Waters, Massive Attack, Kneecap, Macklemore, Brian Eno, IDLES, Paloma Faith, Sigur Rós, Nadine Shah, and Primal Scream.

Former Eurovision winners Emmelie de Forest from Denmark and Charlie McGettigan from Ireland were among the letter’s initial signatories. McGettigan, who won the 1994 Eurovision with fellow Irish singer Paul Harrington, returned his trophy to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in protest of Israel’s participation in this year’s competition.

The letter calls on the EBU to ban Israeli broadcaster KAN from participating in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, and urges artists, public broadcasters, screening party organizers, Eurovision crew members, and fans to boycott the annual competition until Israel is banned. The No Music for Genocide campaign also calls on artists to have their music geo-blocked inside Israel.

“As musicians and cultural workers, many living within the reaches of the European Broadcasting Union, we reject Eurovision being used to whitewash and normalize Israel’s genocide, siege, and brutal military occupation against Palestinians,” the open letter reads. “We refuse to be silent when Israel’s genocidal violence soundtracks and silences Palestinian lives. When children in Israeli prisons endure beatings for humming a tune. When all that’s left of nearly every stage, studio, bookshop, and university in Gaza is piles of rubble, under which slaughtered bodies still await recovery and proper burial.”

The signatories applaud Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Iceland for withdrawing from this year’s contest – after organizers ruled in December that Israel could participate – and also “the many national selection finalists committing to refuse to go to Eurovision.”

“As artists, we recognize our collective agency – and the power of refusal,” they add. “We refuse to be silent. We refuse to be complicit. We call on others in our industry to join us. And we stand in solidarity with all principled efforts to end complicity in every industry.”

Just last week, more than 1,000 members of the entertainment industry signed a separate open letter expressing support for Israel’s participation in the Eurovision this year. Last week’s letter was published by the Creative Community for Peace nonprofit organization and its signatories included Amy Schumer, Mila Kunis, Gene Simmons, Boy George, Helen Mirren, and Sharon Osbourne.

Noam Bettan will represent Israel in the Eurovision with his new song “Michelle,” which is a trilingual track that features lyrics in Hebrew, English, and French. He will perform during the semifinal on May 14, and the grand final will take place on May 16.