Montenegro and North Macedonia will not compete in the Eurovision festival next year due to the cost of participation.

Broadcasters pay a fee to participate in the contest, but the amount varies depending on the size of the country. The BBC reports that some countries have been asked to pay more after Russia was suspended from the competition after invading Ukraine.

"In addition to the significant costs of registration fees, as well as the cost of staying in the UK - we also faced a lack of interest from sponsors, so we decided to direct existing resources to funding current and planned national projects," said Montenegro's public broadcaster, RTCG.

The total cost for all broadcasters involved to enter is usually around €6 million, but exactly how much each participant pays is not made public. It is thought that other countries may also withdraw due to the additional cost.

Public broadcaster MRT said in a statement that "the increase in the registration fee for participation" as well as the energy crisis in North Macedonia forced them to take the decision.

Organizers of the European song festival said they are "committed to keeping the costs of participation as affordable as possible" and its fees are "calculated based on the number of countries competing" taking into account the country's "relative size and financial status."