The Netherlands has pulled out of the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest for the second year in a row.
Dutch public service broadcaster Avrotros appeared to blame Israel’s continued participation in the event for its decision when it said it had decided to leave amid “humanitarian suffering in Gaza and the ongoing restrictions on press freedom”.
A statement from the broadcaster read: “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.
“Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are having a significant impact on the contest and have led to deep divisions.
“Over the past year, Avrotros has called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to establish transparent rules for the participation of countries involved in military conflicts.
“However, the recently announced changes by the EBU do not provide sufficient confidence that the independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored.”
Eurovision announced earlier this month that winners will be ineligible to host the contest if they are involved in “armed conflict” or a “sensitive geopolitical situation”, but did not rule out allowing those countries to take part.
Taco Zimmerman, director-general of Avrotros, added: “The Eurovision Song Contest was originally created to bring people and countries together.
“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. As a public broadcaster, we remain committed to our values. 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.”
Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said: “We regret Avrotros’s decision to no longer participate in the Eurovision Song Contest but understand their choice and respect the views of our member broadcasters.
“The Eurovision Song Contest has always been a place to bring people together, celebrate diverse communities and show that a better world is possible, even in the most difficult times.
“We will now continue our dialogue with NPO (Nederlandse Publieke Omroep), 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.”
The Netherlands was one of a number of countries that boycotted 2026’s event in Vienna, Austria, due to Israel’s continued participation amid its actions in Gaza, along with Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia.
There were a number of protests in the Austrian capital during Eurovision over Israel’s inclusion in the contest amid its actions in Gaza.
The largest protest was the No Stage For Genocide event, organised by Palestine Solidarity Austria, which took place at Venediger Au, a playpark on the outskirts of Vienna, and attended by hundreds of supporters.
Human rights group Amnesty International has also criticised the EBU for its failure to suspend Israel because of its actions in Gaza, as it did with Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, calling it an act of “cowardice” and a “blatant double standard”.
Next year’s song contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, after the country’s entrant Dara won this year’s event with her song Bangaranga.
Israeli entrant Noam Bettan finished second in last year’s event.
Only Ireland and Sweden have won Eurovision more than the Netherlands – which last won in 2019. Rotterdam hosted the 2021 contest as a result, after the 2020 event was cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic.
Eurovision has been contacted for comment.