Netherlands to abandon its boycott of Eurovision, but Ireland will continue to stay away
The Netherlands will return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, abandoning a boycott over Israel’s participation. Public broadcaster NPO said it would take over responsibility for the Dutch entry. The shift in position comes after Ireland confirmed it would not participate in the contest for a second year in a row. RTÉ said it would neither broadcast the event nor send an entry to Eurovision 2027, stating that taking part “cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis”. The Netherlands shunned the contest in 2026 to protest Israel’s participation, and last month AvroTros, the broadcaster that usually facilitates the Dutch entry, said it would boycott the event again in 2027. But it left the final decision on Dutch participation in the hands of other broadcasters in the Netherlands, and on Wednesday NPO said it would take over the role. NPO said the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had taken “important steps” in response to criticism by countries that had not participated last year, which it said should lead to a more “unifying” event. NPO acknowledged the decision would provoke “mixed emotions” in the country. Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia all boycotted the contest in 2026 in protest at the participation of Israel due to its military offensive in Gaza. The head of Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE, José Pablo López, told lawmakers this week that he would propose continuing the boycott. Canada will join Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 Slovenia has reportedly yet to make a final decision, though it has been absent from preliminary meetings. Iceland’s broadcaster did attend such a meeting. Of Ireland’s absence, Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said: “We regret that RTÉ will not be participating in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, but we fully respect their decision and recognise the huge contribution they have made to the contest. They remain a valued part of our family and will be missed. “The Eurovision Song Contest is at its best when broadcasters and their artists from different countries come together to share music, celebrate creativity and create connections between audiences. “That power to bring people together is at the heart of what makes the contest so special, and is even more important now in an increasingly difficult and divided world. “All broadcasters decide on an annual basis to participate in the following year’s contest. We will remain in dialogue with RTÉ and hope to welcome them back to the contest in the future.” – Reuters