Ireland and Netherlands Boycott 2027 Eurovision Song Contest

Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ, announced it will neither participate in nor broadcast the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest. This marks the second consecutive year Ireland has skipped the competition to protest Israel's participation, citing the humanitarian crisis and the ongoing loss of civilian lives in Gaza.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS also announced a boycott of the 2027 contest. AVROTROS characterized the event as a platform for division and argued that Eurovision can no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict. These two nations join Spain, Slovenia, and Iceland in boycotting the event due to Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip.

The 71st edition of the contest is scheduled for May 15 in Burgas, Bulgaria. While the European Broadcasting Union has implemented new rules allowing it to prevent a winning country from hosting if it is experiencing armed conflict or sensitive geopolitical situations, some broadcasters view these measures as insufficient. Eurovision Director Martin Green stated he respects the decision of RTÉ and hopes to welcome the broadcaster back in the future.

The string of boycotts has coincided with a decline in viewership, which dropped by 35 million viewers from the previous year.