Dutch Broadcaster Withdraws From Eurovision 2027 Over Israel-Gaza Conflict

For the second consecutive year, the Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS has officially announced it will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, scheduled to take place in Burgas, Bulgaria. The decision is a protest against Israel's participation amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the broadcaster's criticism of the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) lack of clear rules regarding countries involved in military conflicts. AVROTROS stated that Eurovision can no longer be seen as a neutral competition while a country engaged in a large-scale military conflict participates.

AVROTROS highlighted the significant geopolitical tensions in the Middle East affecting the contest and deepening divisions. The broadcaster has repeatedly called on the EBU to establish transparent criteria for participation by countries involved in armed conflicts. However, recent EBU rule changes, which include stripping automatic hosting rights from winning countries facing security or geopolitical risks, do not sufficiently restore the contest's neutrality according to AVROTROS. This new rule primarily targets Israel and Ukraine, both currently involved in wars.

The broadcaster also cited the severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza and ongoing restrictions on press freedom as factors intensifying disputes around Eurovision. These issues have led to five countries withdrawing from the 2026 contest, former winners returning their trophies, and over a thousand musicians and cultural figures petitioning the EBU to intervene. AVROTROS CEO Taco Zimmerman emphasized that Eurovision was originally created to unite people and countries but has increasingly become a platform for division due to international conflicts.

Following AVROTROS's withdrawal, responsibility for the Netherlands' Eurovision participation now falls to the Dutch public broadcasting foundation NPO, which must decide whether to continue involvement or delegate production to another broadcaster. Reports indicate that Omroep MAX, a leading Dutch broadcaster, has declined to take over.

The Netherlands has participated in Eurovision since its inception, winning five times, most recently in 2019 with Duncan Laurence's "Arcade." In 2025, Dutch representative Claude finished 12th, while in 2026, the Netherlands was among five countries that withdrew from the contest. Recent speculation about a Dutch return in 2027 has been ended by this announcement.