The Netherlands has withdrawn from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, marking the second consecutive year the country will not participate. The decision was announced by Dutch public service broadcaster Avrotros, which cited Israel's continued involvement in the event.
Avrotros cites Gaza and press freedom
In a statement, Avrotros said it would not take part because the contest "can no longer be considered neutral, with a participating country still involved in a large-scale military conflict." The broadcaster pointed to "humanitarian suffering in Gaza and the ongoing restrictions on press freedom" as factors behind the move.
The statement added: "Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are having a significant impact on the contest and have led to deep divisions. Over the past year, Avrotros has called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to establish transparent rules for the participation of countries involved in military conflicts. However, the recently announced changes by the EBU do not provide sufficient confidence that the independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored."
EBU changes and response
Earlier this month, Eurovision announced that winners involved in "armed conflict" or a "sensitive geopolitical situation" would be ineligible to host the contest, but did not rule out allowing such countries to compete.
Taco Zimmerman, director-general of Avrotros, said: "The Eurovision Song Contest was originally created to bring people and countries together. It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the contest, undermining its neutral character. The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division. As a public broadcaster, we remain committed to our values. They guide us in everything we do, even when that means stepping away from an event that is very close to our hearts. That is painful as we would have very much liked to be part of the contest again next year."
Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said: "We regret Avrotros's decision to no longer participate in the Eurovision Song Contest but understand their choice and respect the views of our member broadcasters. The Eurovision Song Contest has always been a place to bring people together, celebrate diverse communities and show that a better world is possible, even in the most difficult times. We will now continue our dialogue with NPO (Nederlandse Publieke Omroep), the umbrella organisation for Dutch public service media, regarding the opportunities for another broadcaster to participate. We very much hope that audiences and artists in the Netherlands can continue to be represented in the Eurovision Song Contest."
Previous boycotts and next year's host
The Netherlands was among several countries, including Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia, that boycotted the 2026 event in Vienna, Austria, over Israel's participation amid its actions in Gaza. Protests took place in the Austrian capital during the contest, with the largest being the No Stage For Genocide event organised by Palestine Solidarity Austria at Venediger Au, attended by hundreds of supporters.
Amnesty International has also criticised the EBU for not suspending Israel, as it did with Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, calling the failure an act of "cowardice" and a "blatant double standard."
Next year's contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, after the country's entrant Dara won this year's event with her song Bangaranga. Israeli entrant Noam Bettan finished second in last year's event. Only Ireland and Sweden have won Eurovision more than the Netherlands, which last won in 2019. Rotterdam hosted the 2021 contest after the 2020 event was cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic.
