Eurovision bans Pride flags for performers, lifts restrictions on flags for spectators

The Eurovision Song Contest has lifted restrictions that barred spectators from waving Palestinian flags and other banners of non-competing countries or entities — but the updated flag policy also states performers can only wave the flag of the country they're representing, effectively banning Pride flags for artists.

The updated policy, shared with CBC News, specifies that all flags and banners are permitted for audience members at the upcoming event this May in Basel, Switzerland, as long as they do not pose safety risks or break Swiss law.

But the same isn't true for performers when they're in "official spaces."

Under the policy, only one national flag can be displayed by performers and their delegations when they are in spaces including the stage, Green Room, Eurovision Village stage and Turquoise Carpet at the opening ceremony.

During the flag parade, only one official flag provided by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR), the host broadcaster, is allowed to be displayed by performers.

This means that demonstrations like the one that occurred when Italy's Marco Mengoni carried both the Italian and Pride flags during the flag parade in 2023 will no longer be permitted.

It also means performers will no longer be able to display another country or territory's flag in solidarity, such as the Palestinian flag or Ukraine's flag, which many performers displayed in 2022 in the wake of Russia's invasion.

A spokesperson for the Eurovision Song Contest said the policy was developed by SRG SSR with input from the Eurovision Broadcasting Union (EBU).

"Outside of these official spaces, the flag policy for delegations is the same as for audiences, where all flags permitted under Swiss law can be used, including Pride flags, and provides plenty of opportunities for the expression of everyone's identities," the spokesperson said.

Delegations and performers may face "further consequences" if they violate the policy, but it's not clear what these consequences are.

The updated policy for artists is an abrupt change to a long-standing tradition in which the rainbow Pride flag was an exception to the rule that required only the flags of competing countries to be flown.

In 2022, several artists carried Pride flags during the flag parade, with S10, a singer-rapper from the Netherlands, and Australia's Sheldon Riley both carrying rainbow flags, and Iceland's Systur band carrying a transgender flag.

Switzerland's Nemo, who scored first place in last year's Eurovision Song Contest for the song The Code, about their journey of self-acceptance, said they had to smuggle in the non-binary flag that they displayed onstage after Eurovision apparently told them it wasn't permitted.

Already, the news that no Pride flags will be allowed to be flown by performers and their delegations onstage is sparking backlash on social media and beyond, with many pointing out that the campy, glitzy event has long positioned itself as an event that celebrates 2SLGBTQ+ people and allies.

"There's just something really dark about eurovision which claims to honour its swathes of LGBTQ+ fans deciding to outlaw contestants showing pride flags," wrote X user @_Aviera_.

Another user wrote, "How can the @Eurovision go from being one of the very big allies for the LGBTQIA+ community to now banning pride flags- hide ourselves again! Last year, Nemo (a Non-Binary Person) won in 2024. How does this make sense! Time for this show to end."

Dutch broadcaster AvroTros will be appealing the decision of the EBU to ban Pride flags in "official spaces," after meeting with LGBTQ+ rights group COC Nederland, according to local media reports.

The policy change is just the latest controversy to face the embattled pan-continental pop competition.

Last year's instalment in Malmö, Sweden, was overshadowed by massive pro-Palestinian protests calling for Israel to be barred from competing due to its military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Israel's offensive has killed more than 51,000 people and damaged or destroyed most residential buildings, according to Gaza officials and the United Nations.

Eurovision briefly barred Israel from performing in 2024 over concerns that its song choice broke rules on political neutrality. The song, originally titled October Rain, appeared to contain references to the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and led to about 250 being taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel was ultimately cleared to compete after changes were made to the lyrics and the title.

But the controversy hasn't let up. Three national broadcasters from participating nations — Slovenia, Spain and Iceland — have called Israel's continued involvement in the event into question this year.

Contest organizers have maintained that Eurovision is a non-political event, but those opposing Israel's inclusion have pointed out that Russia was banned from participating in Eurovision in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine and has not participated since.