The Netherlands will not participate in Eurovision 2027 after all

THE NETHERLANDS HAS pulled out of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, with Dutch public broadcaster NPO citing “sensitivities” over Israel’s participation.

The Netherlands did not participate in the 2026 contest, due to Israel’s continued presence in the competition, which is organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 

Leading Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS said the event can “no longer be considered neutral” given divisions over the Gaza war.

AVROTROS’s decision did not necessarily mean that the Netherlands would not participate in the contest.

The NPO (Netherlands Public Broadcasting), the umbrella body which oversees public broadcasting in the Netherlands stepped in and coverage was to be provided by another broadcaster NOS. 

However, the NPO has now released a statement confirming that the Netherlands will not compete in Eurovision 2027. 

“We have known for some time that Israel’s participation elicits various reactions in society and causes discussion and division,” said Jurre Bosman, NPO’s media director. 

“Therefore, after consultation with the Board of Broadcasters, the NPO has decided to forgo participation in 2027,” added Bosman.

Jet de Ranitz, NPO’s executive chairman, acknowledged their decision would disappoint many Dutch Eurovision fans and stressed that the contest would still be aired on the public channels.

However, he said: “We must conclude that it is currently too early to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027.”

“Due to the sensitivities surrounding the themes currently at play, we have decided to take a step back for the time being,” added De Ranitz.

The Dutch withdrawal is the latest in a series of boycotts from countries unhappy at Israel’s inclusion in the annual music festival.

Claude from the Netherlands performs the song C'est La Vie during the 2025 Grand Final in Basel, Switzerland. alamy

Ireland has also confirmed it will not be participating in this year’s contest in Bulgaria due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In a statement, RTÉ said that “Ireland’s participation cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.

“RTÉ also remains deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory,” it added. 

Ireland was one of five countries that withdrew from the 2026 contest in Vienna, along with Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland. 

The move followed a controversy over voting practices at the 2025 contest, after it emerged that an Israeli government agency had used social media advertising and state accounts to encourage votes for Israel’s entry.

The EBU subsequently introduced measures aimed at discouraging government-backed promotional campaigns, reduced the maximum number of votes per payment method from 20 to 10 and brought professional juries back to the semi-finals.

However, members did not hold a separate vote on Israel’s participation, prompting the five broadcasters to withdraw.

The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, after DARA won the 2026 competition for Bulgaria with the song Bangaranga.

The semi-finals will take place on 11 and 13 May, with the Grand Final being held at Arena Burgas on 15 May.

The final list of broadcasters taking part in Eurovision 2027 has not yet been announced.

With additional reporting by AFP