Ireland and Netherlands boycott Eurovision 2027 over Israel participation

Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ, has announced it will boycott the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest in Burgas, Bulgaria. This marks the second consecutive year the country will not participate or broadcast the event.

RTÉ stated that participation cannot be justified given the ongoing humanitarian crisis and loss of civilian life in Gaza, as well as restrictions on independent journalists' access to the region. This decision follows a similar move by the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, which also announced its withdrawal from the 2027 competition in protest of Israel's participation.

Other nations, including Spain, Iceland, and Slovenia, previously joined boycotts in 2026. While the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has maintained Israel's eligibility, the growing number of withdrawals highlights increasing political tension surrounding the contest's neutrality and its response to global conflicts.