Netherlands to Participate in Eurovision 2027 After Boycott Reversal

The Netherlands will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, reversing a previous decision by national broadcaster AVROTROS to boycott the event due to Israel's participation. The Dutch public broadcasting corporation NPO (Nederlandse Publieke Omroep) announced the country's return.

AVROTROS had previously stated in August that it would not participate, citing the war in Gaza and Israel's involvement as reasons why Eurovision had lost its neutral character. AVROTROS transferred responsibility for the Dutch entry to NPO, which has now decided to organize the country's participation independently. An independent group of experts will be formed to select and prepare the Dutch representative, whose identity remains unknown.

NPO explained its decision by stating the need to make the contest a platform that "unites" European countries again. The head of NPO's board, Jettie de Ranitz, mentioned that NPO had urged the European Broadcasting Union to restore Eurovision's unifying nature amidst geopolitical tensions, wars, and polarization.

Under the new arrangement, NPO will handle the participant's preparation, while the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, NOS) will cover the contest and broadcast the semifinals and final. This decision effectively splits the organizational approach: the Netherlands will compete, but the broadcaster that initially called for a boycott will not be involved in the entry's preparation.

Eurovision 2027 is scheduled to take place in May in Burgas, Bulgaria.