Ireland has declared its decision to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for the second consecutive year due to Israel’s participation, as announced by the country’s national broadcaster on Thursday. RTE stated that it will not be sending a representative to the 2027 competition in Bulgaria and will abstain from broadcasting the event citing concerns over the “appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza.”
This move by Ireland follows similar actions taken by five other countries, including the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, and Spain, who also chose to skip this year’s Eurovision in protest against Israel’s involvement in the pan-European music competition. The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS recently declared its intention to boycott the event next year, labeling Eurovision as a “platform for division.”
AVROTROS justified its decision by stating, “AVROTROS will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 because the event can no longer be considered neutral, with a participating country still involved in a large-scale military conflict.” The upcoming competition is scheduled to be held in May in Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Burgas.
