Dutch broadcaster pulls out of Eurovision 2027

Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS has withdrawn from next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, saying the event can “no longer be considered neutral” while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict.

The broadcaster said Monday that it would not take part in the 2027 contest in Burgas, Bulgaria, citing what it called a lack of clarity from the European Broadcasting Union over how it assesses which countries are eligible to compete. The decision follows continuing disputes over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza, which have driven boycotts and sharpened divisions around the world’s largest live televised music event.

“The severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza and the ongoing restrictions on press freedom have contributed to increasing divisions surrounding the Eurovision Song Contest in recent years,” AVROTROS said.

Taco Zimmerman, AVROTROS’s director general, said the contest had moved away from its founding purpose.

“It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the contest, undermining its neutral character,” Zimmerman said. “The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division. As a public broadcaster, we remain committed to our values.”

He added: “They guide us in everything we do, even when that means stepping away from an event that is very close to our hearts. That is painful as we would have very much liked to be part of the contest again next year.”

The EBU recently amended Eurovision rules to say that if a country involved in an armed conflict wins, it will not be allowed to host the contest the following year. The rule also bars a winner from hosting if a “sensitive geopolitical situation” affects the “security, safety or stability” of the country or its immediate region.

AVROTROS said those changes “do not provide sufficient confidence that the independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored.”

Martin Green, director of the contest, said the EBU regretted AVROTROS’s decision but respected its views.

“We will now continue our dialogue with NPO, the umbrella organization for Dutch public service media, regarding the opportunities for another broadcaster to participate,” Green said. “We very much hope that audiences and artists in the Netherlands can continue to be represented in the Eurovision Song Contest.”

Green said Eurovision “has always been a place to bring people together, celebrate diverse communities, and show that a better world is possible even in the most difficult times.”

AVROTROS’s withdrawal does not necessarily rule out Dutch participation in 2027. The BBC reported that another broadcaster within the Dutch public broadcasting system could potentially take over because the Netherlands has several public broadcasters.

The Netherlands also boycotted this year’s contest in Vienna after Israel was allowed to compete. Five broadcasters announced boycotts after a failed attempt last November to have Israel suspended, including Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands. Al Jazeera reported that the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all pulled out, and that Spain, Ireland and Slovenia refused to broadcast the show.

Despite the protests, Israel placed second in both 2025 and 2026. The BBC reported that some participating broadcasters privately expressed safety concerns about the contest being staged in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv if Israel were to win in the future.

Next year’s Eurovision is due to be held May 15 in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Burgas, after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year’s contest in Vienna with “Bangaranga,” Al Jazeera reported. It will be Bulgaria’s first time hosting the competition.

Al Jazeera reported that this year’s competition drew 131 million viewers, 35 million fewer than the previous year.