Montenegro and North Macedonia will not compete in next year's Eurovision due to the costs of participation. Broadcasters pay a fee to participate in the contest, but the amount varies depending on the size of the country.
Russia, a major financial contributor, was kicked out of this year's competition after it invaded Ukraine. BBC News has reported that some countries have been asked to pay more after Russia was banned from the competition.
"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.
Also, the energy crisis in North Macedonia and the increase in the registration fee for participation forced the country to take the decision to cancel the participation.
According to the BBC, several other countries are also expected to withdraw as a result of the extra cost.
