The Netherlands will not compete in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS confirmed on Monday, citing what it called the contest's lack of neutrality and Israel's continued participation.
AVROTROS said in a statement that it would not take part in the 2027 contest because the event could no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remained involved in a large-scale military conflict.
Taco Zimmerman, director-general of the Dutch public broadcaster, said Eurovision had turned into a platform for division rather than fulfilling its original mission of bringing people and countries closer together, according to the statement.
The broadcaster said recent changes announced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) did not go far enough to restore confidence that Eurovision's neutral and independent character had been restored.
AVROTROS said the severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza and ongoing restrictions on press freedom had deepened divisions around Eurovision in recent years. It said this underlined the need for a clear framework to assess the participation of countries involved in military conflicts, adding that it remained unclear under what circumstances such participation was compatible with a neutral Eurovision and when it was not. The broadcaster said the basis for the EBU's own assessment remained unexplained.
Wider boycott by five countries
Israel's participation in the contest faced renewed criticism this year, with calls for its exclusion leading five countries to boycott the event: Spain, one of the "Big Five" nations that contribute the most funding to the production of the show, along with Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland.
The boycotts were prompted by Israeli military attacks on the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip, which have killed at least 72,000 people since October 2023 and have been classified as genocide by an independent international investigative commission of the United Nations.
Burgas chosen to host 2027 contest
The EBU announced this month that the Bulgarian city of Burgas, on the Black Sea, had been chosen to host the 71st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled for May 11, 13 and 15, 2027.
The announcement of the host city came a day after the EBU said it had introduced changes to its rules, including a provision that could bar a winning country from hosting the contest if it is in "armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation or another circumstance that materially affects the security or stability" of the local area or surrounding region.
History of exclusions
Eurovision has been held annually since 1956. Belarus was excluded in 2021 following the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, and Russia was excluded in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine.
Eurovision is Europe's long-running televised song competition, organized by the EBU and watched by hundreds of millions of viewers across the continent each year.
