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🇦🇹 Austria /Culture & Society

Netherlands to boycott Eurovision 2027 again over Israel's participation

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Dutch public broadcaster AvroTros announced it will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 for the second consecutive year.
  • The boycott is a protest against Israel's participation due to the situation in Gaza and the lack of clear rules for excluding conflicted nations.
  • The European Broadcasting Union's recent changes have not instilled enough confidence in the broadcaster to restore the contest's independent and neutral character.

The Dutch public broadcaster AvroTros has declared it will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, marking the second year in a row the Netherlands will not participate. This decision stems from protests against Israel's inclusion in the competition, citing the ongoing situation in the Gaza Strip.

AvroTros also highlighted a perceived lack of clear regulations for excluding countries involved in military conflicts. In a statement released on Monday, the broadcaster expressed that recent adjustments announced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have not provided sufficient assurance that the Eurovision Song Contest's independent and neutral nature will be reinstated.

The broadcaster has deferred the final decision regarding the Netherlands' participation to the umbrella organization of public broadcasters, NPO. The Netherlands previously boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest held in Vienna for similar reasons, protesting Israel's involvement.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2027 is scheduled to take place in the Bulgarian seaside resort town of Burgas.

The changes recently announced by the European Broadcasting Union do not provide sufficient confidence that the independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored.

— AvroTrosExplaining the broadcaster's decision to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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