Netherlands pulls out of Eurovision 2027 over Israel participation

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 10:28 · Archive

The Netherlands will not compete in next year's Eurovision Song Contest, citing sensitivities over Israel's involvement.

The Netherlands will not compete in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, its broadcaster NPO announced in late October 2026. The decision marks a reversal after the country initially confirmed it would participate in the competition following a boycott the previous year.

The Netherlands was one of five countries to withdraw from Eurovision in 2026 in protest over Israel's involvement. Its usual broadcaster, Avrotros, cited the ongoing Middle East conflict and said the contest could 'no longer be considered neutral, with a participating country still involved in a large-scale military conflict'.

Earlier this year, NPO took over organising duties on the Netherlands' behalf, suggesting the country would return. However, NPO has now reversed that decision. Executive chairman Jet de Ranitz said: 'We must conclude that it is currently too early to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027. Due to the sensitivities surrounding the themes currently at play, we have decided to take a step back for the time being.' He acknowledged the decision would disappoint Dutch Eurovision fans but stressed the contest would still be broadcast on public channels.

Other countries have also boycotted or reconsidered participation. Ireland has already confirmed it will not return, while decisions remain pending for Iceland, Slovenia and Spain, which all withdrew in 2026. Belgium initially suggested it would not participate but later confirmed it would compete in 2027.

The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Burgas, which won the right to host after winning the competition in May 2026. The contest has faced significant disruption in recent years over the geopolitical tensions surrounding Israel's participation.

How it is being reported

• After pushback, the Dutch reverse course and withdraw from Eurovision againThe Netherlands is withdrawing from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest, reversing a decision in September to return to the showIndependent World · 27 Oct, 11:44
• Netherlands makes U-turn over Eurovision 2027 participationA Dutch broadcaster reverses a decision to take part, citing "sensitivities" over Israel's participation.BBC World · 27 Oct, 11:23
• Netherlands makes Eurovision U-turn again to boycott 2027 Song ContestThe Netherlands will not take part in Eurovision 2027 (Picture: Eurovision) One month after the Netherlands confirmed it would be participating in the Eurovision Song Contest , its broadcaster has changed its mind. The Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO) has declared it will not go ahead with…Metro · 27 Oct, 10:16
• Netherlands pulls out of next year's Eurovision because of 'sensitivities' over IsraelThe Netherlands has pulled out of next year's Eurovision Song Contest, its broadcaster announced, citing 'sensitivities' over Israel's participation.Daily Mail · 27 Oct, 10:11
• The Netherlands Makes Second U-Turn On Competing In Next Year's Eurovision Song ContestThe Netherlands will not be competing in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest after all. Last year, The Netherlands was one of five countries to pull out of the competition in protest over Israel’s involvement , in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Earlier this year, the country’s national broadcaster Avrotros announced it would be continuing its boycott of the event for the second year running in 2027. Claude was the most recent act to represent The Netherlands at Eurovision, which he did in 2025 A spokesperson for Avrotros said at the time: “ The event can no longer be…HuffPost UK · 27 Oct, 09:31

In this story: Netherlands · Eurovision Song Contest · Israel · NPO · Jet de Ranitz · Bulgaria · Gaza · Ireland

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