Netherlands to Participate in Eurovision 2027 After Boycotting Previous Contest

The Dutch public broadcaster has announced its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, scheduled to be held in Burgas, Bulgaria. This decision follows the Netherlands' boycott of the 2026 contest due to Israel's participation.

Initially, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS stated in August that it was stepping away from the decision regarding participation, passing it to the national broadcaster NPO. AVROTROS cited that sending artists under the current circumstances "does not align with the organization's principles." However, the NPO has now taken a different stance, acknowledging that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has made "significant steps to change the rules of the competition" in response to criticism from national broadcasters.

The EBU and NPO concluded that Eurovision's core principle should be fostering unity among European countries and peoples. A statement from the Dutch broadcaster emphasized the need to focus on the contest's unifying function, especially during times of war and geopolitical crises, and to "rediscover what unites us, without ignoring world events." The NPO urged adherence to Eurovision's motto, "United by Music."

Separately, the Dutch broadcaster will establish a special jury to select the country's representative for Eurovision, while the public broadcasting service NOS will cover the semi-final and final. Earlier, the EBU had modified rules to potentially exclude Israel as a host country if an Israeli singer won, and also raised the participant age limit to 18 from 16.

Ireland's RTE had previously announced its boycott of Eurovision 2027, citing the "humanitarian crisis and loss of life in Gaza" and expressing concern over Israel's restrictions on journalists accessing Gaza. Several other countries, including Belgium, Hungary, Iceland, and Slovenia, had not yet confirmed their participation by the time of the report.

Bulgaria, winner of Eurovision 2026, will host the 2027 contest in Burgas. The semi-finals are scheduled for May 11 and 13, with the final on May 15. Given these dates, Israel is likely to participate in the second semi-final, as the dress rehearsal would fall on Israel's Memorial Day.