Ireland Will Boycott 2027 Eurovision Song Contest Over Israel’s Participation

Ireland will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year over Israel’s participation, the country’s national broadcaster announced on Thursday, according to HuffPost reporting. The decision cements a deepening cultural rift within the pan-continental music competition as public service broadcasters grapple with the geopolitical fallout of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

National broadcaster RTÉ stated via The Independent that Ireland's involvement cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk. Furthermore, HuffPost UK noted that RTÉ remains deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory.

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The announcement follows a historic boycott at previous editions of the contest. Ireland was one of five nations—alongside the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia and Spain—that sat out recent competitions to protest Israel’s inclusion, Daily Sabah reported.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced that it will also boycott the 2027 event, according to NewsCord reporting, stating that the competition can no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has attempted to quell growing dissent through administrative adjustments. Following pressure from member states, organizers announced a rule change preventing countries involved in armed conflicts from hosting the contest, even if they win the preceding year's event.

Eurovision Director Martin Green addressed the mounting withdrawals, stating that organizers regretted RTÉ’s decision but fully respected it. All broadcasters decide on an annual basis to participate in the following year’s contest, Green said, adding that organizers would remain in dialogue with RTÉ and hope to welcome them back to the contest in the future.

Israel has consistently rejected allegations of genocide, maintaining that its military campaigns are conducted as self-defence measures under international law following the October attacks.

The 2027 contest is scheduled to take place in Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Burgas in May, following Bulgarian singer Dara's victory with her anthem Bangaranga. The final list of participating broadcasters and countries will be officially announced later this year.

The origins of the current impasse trace back across multiple contests, where intense public demonstrations, heightened security, and disputes over voting patterns have continually overshadowed the music. As noted by the BBC and other outlets, protests and heightened security measures marked recent contests in Malmo, Basel, and Vienna, where demonstrators and critics raised alarms over the conduct of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in the conflict. While the EBU maintained that its voting systems were robust and independent audits confirmed valid results, several broadcasters questioned the fairness of televoting outcomes following coordinated promotional campaigns linked to government-associated accounts. AVROTROS specifically cited these ongoing divisions and argued that the EBU's recent reforms failed to restore The Independent character of the event, prompting the Dutch broadcaster to return operational responsibility to NPO while stepping aside.

As preparations for the Burgas contest continue, the final roster of competing nations remains subject to upcoming broadcaster reviews and the official participant reveal later this year.