Ireland Declines Eurovision 2027 Participation Over Israel's Involvement

Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE, announced on Thursday that it will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, which is scheduled to be held in Burgas, Bulgaria. The decision stems from Israel's participation in the competition. RTE also stated it would not broadcast the upcoming contest.

In a statement, RTE explained its position has not changed, citing the "appalling and ongoing loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to endanger so many civilian lives." Ireland was one of five countries that boycotted this year's Eurovision, alongside Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland.

Ireland first competed in Eurovision in 1965 and has won the contest seven times, the most wins by any country. The Irish broadcaster's decision follows a similar announcement earlier this month by Dutch broadcaster Avrotros, which also cited the "humanitarian suffering in Gaza" as a reason for its withdrawal.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is reportedly in discussions with the Dutch public broadcasting organization (NPO) to find an alternative broadcaster for the Netherlands. The EBU recently amended Eurovision's rules to prevent a country involved in an armed conflict from hosting if it wins. However, Avrotros deemed these changes insufficient to restore the contest's "neutral and independent character."