Ireland Confirms Eurovision 2027 Boycott Over Israel's Participation

Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ, announced on Thursday that it will not participate in or broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, maintaining its stance against Israel's involvement. The decision stems from the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with RTÉ stating its position remains unchanged.

RTÉ also expressed concern over continued restrictions on independent access for foreign journalists to the region. This marks the first country to officially declare a continued boycott for the upcoming year, following a trend of sentiment against Israel during the recent Eurovision competition.

Ireland had previously withdrawn from the 2026 contest held in Vienna after Israel's public broadcaster, Kan, was approved to participate. Israel's participation survived a secret no-confidence vote at a European Broadcasting Union assembly in Geneva amidst growing international pressure.

Notably, Ireland was among five countries, including Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain, that did not broadcast or participate in the 2026 contest. The 2027 Eurovision is scheduled to take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, with semi-finals on May 11 and 13, and the grand final on May 15. Bulgaria secured hosting rights after Dara's win with the song "Benga Ranga" in the previous year.

The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has also indicated it will boycott the 2027 contest, though responsibility for Dutch participation now rests with the NPO, the umbrella organization for public broadcasting. The final list of participating countries for Eurovision 2027 has not yet been released by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Martin Österdahl, Eurovision's executive supervisor, previously expressed hope for Ireland's return, acknowledging the concerns of boycotting broadcasters while emphasizing the EBU's position that Kan is not responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.