Dutch Public Broadcaster to Boycott Eurovision 2027 Over Israel's Participation

The Dutch public broadcaster AvroTros announced it will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 for the second consecutive year, protesting Israel's participation amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The broadcaster expressed doubts about the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) ability to maintain the contest's neutrality and independence, stating that recent changes announced by the EBU are insufficient to restore trust in the competition's impartiality. AvroTros linked its decision directly to Israel's involvement and the lack of clear rules regarding the exclusion of countries engaged in military conflicts. The broadcaster emphasized that without consistent and clear guidelines, it cannot justify returning to the contest.

This marks the second year in a row that the Netherlands has boycotted Eurovision, having also withdrawn from the 2026 contest for the same reasons. The final decision on the Netherlands' official participation will now be made by NPO, the umbrella organization for public broadcasters in the country. The boycott reflects ongoing tensions surrounding Israel's role in the competition and the broader geopolitical situation in the region.