Dutch Broadcaster Confirms Boycott of Eurovision 2027 Over Israeli Participation

The Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS announced it will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Burgas, rejecting recent reports of a return to the competition. Despite earlier claims by journalist Jordi Prestiahdan in De Telegraaf that the Netherlands would rejoin Eurovision, AVROTROS confirmed the country will remain absent in protest against Israel's participation. The broadcaster stated that Eurovision no longer aligns with its values of reliability, independence, and humanity, citing ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the involvement of a country engaged in a large-scale military conflict. AVROTROS also criticized the European Broadcasting Union's new rules, which allow barring countries in geopolitical or military crises from hosting Eurovision, saying the measures do not restore the contest's neutrality or independence. However, the final decision on the Netherlands' participation lies with NPO, the Dutch public broadcasting association, which could select a different broadcaster to represent the country, leaving open a potential return without AVROTROS. The Netherlands last competed in Eurovision 2025 in Basel with Claude's "C’est La Vie," finishing 12th with 175 points. The country has participated 65 times since being a founding member in 1956 and has won five times, most recently in 2019 with Duncan Laurence's "Arcade."