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AVROTROS quits Eurovision 2027
The Netherlands will not take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, with Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS saying the event can no longer be considered neutral amid divisions over the war in Gaza.
“The Netherlands will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027”
AVROTROS Director-General Taco Zimmerman said, "It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character," adding that "The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division."
The broadcaster said it had spent the past year calling on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, to introduce transparent rules governing participation by countries involved in military conflicts.
AVROTROS said recently announced changes by the EBU had not provided enough confidence that Eurovision’s independent and neutral character had been restored, and it pointed to humanitarian suffering in Gaza and restrictions on press freedom as factors contributing to growing divisions.
The decision means the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in Burgas, Bulgaria, scheduled for May 15, will proceed without the Netherlands as the dispute over Israel’s participation extends into another Eurovision season.
Boycotts and competing narratives
AVROTROS said its decision was consistent with its values of "trustworthiness, independence and humanity," while also citing that five countries had decided not to participate in the 2026 contest.
The broadcaster said former winners had returned their trophies and that more than 1,000 musicians and cultural professionals had signed an open letter calling on the EBU to intervene.
RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said there was "no reason at the moment" to change Ireland’s position on the 2026 boycott, and RTÉ reported that it had not yet confirmed whether Ireland will participate in Eurovision 2027.
Martin Green, the director of the Eurovision Song Contest, told AFP the organisation regrets the decision but understood and respected it, and Green said organisers would investigate whether another Dutch broadcaster might be willing to participate.
The Journal described AVROTROS as saying one of the participating countries is still involved in a large-scale military conflict, and it quoted AVROTROS saying geopolitical tensions in the Middle East were having too much of an impact on the contest and leading to major divisions.
Gaza toll and what’s at risk
AVROTROS linked its Eurovision boycott to the war in Gaza, saying Israel continues to block agreed quantities of food, medicine, medical supplies, shelter materials and prefabricated homes from entering Gaza.
“Israel continues to block agreed quantities of food, medicine, medical supplies”
Anadolu Ajansı reported that Gaza’s Health Ministry said ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire have killed 1,286 Palestinians and injured 4,257 others as of Sunday, and that the overall toll from Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023 had risen to 73,420 killed and 174,369 injured.
The broadcaster said the developments highlighted the need for a clear framework explaining when a country involved in a military conflict can take part in a contest intended to remain neutral.
In parallel, AVROTROS said it had informed Dutch public broadcaster NPO of its decision and returned responsibility for the Netherlands’ participation to it, with NPO to determine how to proceed for 2027.
With the 2027 contest in Burgas on May 15, AVROTROS’s stance keeps the Netherlands out while the EBU faces pressure over how it defines neutrality and participation rules for countries involved in armed conflicts.