VIENNA (AP) 鈥� Vienna’s famed coffeehouses have embraced the They have also been touched by tensions over in the sequin-drenched pop music competition.
When officials announced a list of 鈥淓urofan Cafes” 鈥� Vienna coffee shops offering food and music from competing countries 鈥� Israel was initially left out.
MQ Kantine, a modern caf茅 in the city鈥檚 arty museums quarter, offered to step in. Now it has falafel, bagels with lox and kosher wine on the menu, a string of small Israeli flags hanging from the ceiling 鈥� and a police officer outside the door.
Security is tight across Vienna during the international music contest, whose 鈥淯nited by Music鈥� slogan rings sightly hollow this year. Five countries are boycotting because Israel is taking part. Pro-Palestinian activists are planning a protest concert 鈥� one of across Europe 鈥� and an anti-Israel march before Saturday鈥檚 grand final.
At MQ Kantine, volunteers take turns to monitor for potential trouble. But so far the mood has been supportive, said Daniel Kapp, a PR consultant and pro-Israel campaigner.
鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful,鈥� he said, as people drank coffee and beer on the caf茅 terrace in the spring sunshine, though he noted that the police officer on duty showed that all is 鈥渘ot entirely normal.鈥�
鈥淢y feeling is that Austria to a certain degree has learned from its history,” Kapp said, referring to the deadly antisemitism under the Nazis before and during World War II. 鈥淲hich is why the support for Israel is a lot more normal than it is in other countries.鈥�
Israel has competed in Eurovision for more than 50 years, and won four times. But its participation has been contested since it launched a after 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas-led cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the territory鈥檚 Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government and whose detailed records are viewed as generally reliable by the international community.
Israel鈥檚 government has repeatedly defended its campaign as a response to the Oct. 7 attack. But a number of experts, including those commissioned by a United Nations body, have said that Israel鈥檚 offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel, home to many Holocaust survivors and their relatives, has vigorously denied the claim.
The war in Lebanon and the U.S.-Israeli have driven tensions still higher.
The 2024 Eurovision contest in , and last year鈥檚 event in , saw that called for Israel to be expelled. Five countries 鈥� Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain 鈥� pulled out of the 2026 contest after organizers allowed Israel to compete.
Partying amid tight security
The tensions have produced a Eurovision of two halves. An upbeat party atmosphere prevails inside the Wiener Stadthalle arena and in the separate Eurovision Village fan zone. But getting in means passing through a ring of steel, with searches, scanners and a ban on all bags inside the arena. Armed police are a very visible presence on the streets.
Awareness of risk from terror plots is high in the city after a 21-year-old Austrian man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group pleaded guilty to plotting to in Vienna in 2024.
Israeli singer Noam Bettan told Israeli media that, like last year鈥檚 Israeli competitor Yuval Raphael, he practiced performing while being booed. There were scattered shouts amid the cheers when he performed in . He secured a spot in Saturday鈥檚 final by being one of the top 10 finishers in voting by viewers and national juries.
Organizers said four people were removed from the 10,000-strong audience for disruptive behavior.
Austrian Eurovision fan Ivo Herzl, who attended the semifinal, said 鈥渢he vibe was incredibly positive.鈥� He is showing support for Israel by making and selling Mazel Lov T-shirts 鈥� a play on 鈥渕azel tov,鈥� a Hebrew and Yiddish phrase of congratulations.
鈥淰ienna has always been a city of tolerance,鈥� Herzl said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the city of music and we鈥檒l always do everything possible for everyone to enjoy a musical event.鈥�
Some Israeli fans said they were reassured by the tight security. Oz Yona, attending his first Eurovision, said he had experienced 鈥渘o hate鈥� and felt Austria took antisemitism seriously.
He came with friends to cheer for Israel, though he was not optimistic about Bettan鈥檚 chances 鈥� for musical rather than political reasons.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he will win,鈥� Yona said. 鈥淔inland is better this year. Greece is better this year. We have a good song, but not a winning song.鈥�
Birgitta Peterson and Kristina Nilsson, who wear matching pink bomber jackets and call themselves The Swedish Ladies, love to explore new cities and meet up each year with their 鈥淓urovision family鈥� of fellow fans. They plan to wave Israeli flags at Saturday鈥檚 final, after Swedish contestant Felicia said earlier this year that she didn鈥檛 think Israel should be in the contest.
They say tensions over Israel have divided a fan community long known for its friendliness and embrace of diversity.
鈥淭he wounds are very deep at the moment,鈥� Nilsson said.
鈥淭his event should really be about 鈥榰nited by music鈥� and happiness,鈥� she added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what Eurovision is all about.鈥�
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
