Europe · 17 September, 2026 · 3 min read
RTÉ Boycotts Eurovision 2027 Over Israel’s Participation Amid Gaza Civilian Deaths
Ireland's RTÉ will not participate or broadcast Eurovision 2027 due to Gaza deaths. It's the second consecutive year RTÉ has boycotted over Israel's participation.
Whether Eurovision excludes conflict states from hosting.
9 of 11 outlets skipped it: israel’s genocide claim and death toll figure.
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The Times of Israel
“RTÉ feels 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.”Read the original ↗
Reuters
“Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”Read the original ↗
Some outlets emphasise humanitarian impact, others add less on journalist-access points.
Ireland boycotts Eurovision 2027
Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ said it will again boycott the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, confirming it will not participate in the contest or broadcast it.
“Ireland will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest for the second year in a row”
RTÉ tied the decision to what it called the “appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza” and a “humanitarian crisis” that it said continues to put civilians at risk.
Reuters reported that Ireland’s move comes for the second year in a row, after it was one of five countries that did not take part in 2026 over Israel’s participation.R
The BBC said the 2027 contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, with the Grand Final on 15 May and semi-finals on 11 and 13 May.
The BBC also said Bulgaria earned the right to host after DARA won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna with “Bangaranga.”
EBU, RTÉ and other broadcasters
RTÉ said its position “remains unchanged,” and the BBC quoted the broadcaster saying: “RTÉ feels 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.”
The BBC added that RTÉ also remains “deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory,” while Reuters reported that RTÉ quoted Eurovision director Martin Green saying the European Broadcasting Union regretted but respected the decision.R
Reuters said the EBU-organised contest will be held in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Burgas after the host country won for the first time in May.R
The BBC reported that Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS also said it will not participate in Eurovision 2027, saying the competition can no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict.
The BBC further said Israel rejects allegations of genocide and described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as launched in response to a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
What the boycott means next
The BBC said RTÉ’s boycott is the second year in a row that the broadcaster has not participated, after it withdrew from the 2026 contest in Vienna following the European Broadcasting Union’s confirmation that Israeli public broadcaster KAN would be allowed to take part.
“In 2026, RTÉ withdrew from the 2026 contest in Vienna”
The BBC reported that last year Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia boycotted the Eurovision Song Contest after it was decided Israel could compete, and it said RTÉ added that it also remains “deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory.”
The BBC said Eurovision 2027 is scheduled for 11 and 13 May for the semi-finals and 15 May for the Grand Final at the Arena Burgas, meaning RTÉ’s non-broadcast decision will shape what Irish audiences see during those dates.
In the same BBC report, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza more than 73,780 people have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.
The BBC also said DARA won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna with “Bangaranga,” linking the upcoming 2027 event in Burgas to the most recent contest outcome.