03 / 10
Dutch broadcaster withdraws from Eurovision 2027
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros will skip Eurovision, citing Gaza war divisions and organisers’ participation rules.
What happened
Avrotros announced that it will not take part in the contest in Burgas, Bulgaria. It cited Israel’s participation amid the Gaza war, humanitarian suffering in Gaza and press restrictions, and stated that an EBU rule change had not restored Eurovision’s neutral character. The EBU expressed regret and respect.
Numbers
- 131 millionviewers of the 2026 contest
- 35 millionfewer viewers than previous year
- five countriescountries that boycotted the 2026 contest
Questions
- Where is next year’s contest planned?
- The contest is planned for Burgas, Bulgaria, after Vienna, Austria hosted the previous edition, which Avrotros also boycotted.
- What rule did the EBU change?
- A country involved in an armed conflict that wins can no longer host the following year’s contest under the revised rule.
- How did the latest audience compare?
- The 2026 broadcast reached 131 million viewers, 35 million fewer than the previous year after five countries boycotted the contest.
- Which countries sat out previously?
- Alongside the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia and Spain withdrew, all citing Israel’s participation in the contest that year.
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The catch
The withdrawal is Avrotros’s decision and does not yet determine whether the Netherlands will enter.
Dutch entry remains unresolved.