The Netherlands’ public broadcaster AVROTROS announced on Monday, August 24, that it will pull out of the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, saying the event has become “a platform for division” as disputes over Israel’s participation have intensified.
The broadcaster said recent changes introduced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), including rules preventing countries involved in armed conflict from hosting the contest if they win, failed to restore confidence in Eurovision’s independence.
Broadcaster challenges contest’s neutrality
The company cited Israel’s participation, despite being involved in a large-scale conflict, as one of its main reasons for the boycott.
“It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character.”
“The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division,” AVROTROS director-general Taco Zimmerman said, as quoted by Agence France-Presse.
Failure to have Israel suspended in Eurovision has also prompted Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia to boycott the 2026 edition.
AVROTROS likewise boycotted the contest in Vienna this year after Israel was allowed to compete, joining several other public broadcasters that either withdrew or declined to air the event.
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Gaza concerns deepen divisions
AVROTROS said the humanitarian situation in Gaza had deepened divisions around Eurovision in recent years.
“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,” the broadcaster said, as quoted by the BBC.
Against this backdrop, Israel has finished as a runner-up in two consecutive years, with Noam Bettan recently winning second place.
The 2026 edition drew about 131 million viewers, down by roughly 35 million from the previous year following the wave of boycotts, AFP reported.
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EBU seeks alternative Dutch participant
Zimmerman described the decision as “painful,” but said that AVROTROS would remain committed to its values, even if that meant stepping away from an event it had long supported.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, Eurovision director Martin Green said the EBU regretted AVROTROS’s decision but respected the broadcaster’s position.
“We will now continue our dialogue with NPO, the umbrella organisation for Dutch public service media, regarding the opportunities for another broadcaster to participate.”
“We very much hope that audiences and artists in the Netherlands can continue to be represented in the Eurovision Song Contest,” Green said, as quoted by the BBC.
The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place on May 15 in Burgas, Bulgaria, marking the country’s first time hosting after Bulgarian singer Dara won the 2026 contest in Vienna.
The Netherlands has competed since Eurovision’s first edition in 1956 and has won the contest five times, most recently in 2019 with Duncan Laurence’s “Arcade.”
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