The Netherlands will not take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest because of the sensitive debate surrounding Israel’s participation, public broadcaster NPO said on Tuesday.
NPO said it had decided to withdraw after consulting its Council of Broadcasters. Despite the non-participation, another Dutch broadcaster, NOS, will still show the contest in the Netherlands, including with Dutch commentary.
“It is still too early for us to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027,” Jet de Ranitz, NPO’s chief executive, said. “Because of the sensitive issues surrounding the themes currently at stake, we have decided to step back for the time being.”
The broadcaster had previously suggested the country could return and had sought to bring together a coalition of interested parties after AVROTROS, which previously sent the Netherlands' entry, pulled out for the second year.
However, the NPO said it had been aware for some time that Israel’s participation was prompting a range of reactions in Dutch society and had become a source of debate and division.
In a statement, NPO media director Jurre Bosman said those concerns had led the broadcaster to also opt out of the 2027 contest.
“We recognise that opinions about the Contest are deeply and sincerely held at the moment, and that they differ widely, both within countries and between them,” a statement from the Eurovision Song Contest said.
“We do not dismiss any of those views. Public service media exist to serve their audiences, and it is right that our Members weigh these questions carefully, in dialogue with their own communities.”
The Netherlands joins Ireland’s RTÉ in boycotting the 2027 contest. In 2026, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia joined the Netherlands and Ireland in also boycotting the contest.
The 2027 contest will be held in the Black Sea city of Burgas, Bulgaria, after Bulgaria’s national broadcaster, Bulgarian National Television, won the 2026 contest with its entry by Dara.
