RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, will boycott the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest in Burgas and will not broadcast the event, citing the "appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza" and the humanitarian crisis. Eurovision organisers said they regret the decision and remain in dialogue with RTÉ. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has also announced it will not participate in 2027. The decision follows protests and security concerns at recent contests amid the Hamas-Israel war.
RTÉ To Boycott Eurovision 2027, Citing Gaza Humanitarian Crisis
FILE - An Eurovision flag flies at the port of Burgas, on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, which will host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova, File)
LONDON (AP) — Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ has announced it will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year, refusing both to send an entry to the 2027 competition in Bulgaria and to broadcast the show.
RTÉ said the decision reflects its concern about the "appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk." The broadcaster said the humanitarian situation made participation untenable.
Organisers Respond
Eurovision Director Martin Green said organisers regretted RTÉ’s choice but added they "fully respect" the broadcaster’s decision. "All broadcasters decide on an annual basis to participate in the following year's contest. We will remain in dialogue with RTÉ and hope to welcome them back to the contest in the future," Green said.
Last month, Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS also announced it would boycott the 2027 contest, saying Eurovision can no longer be considered neutral with a participating country involved in a large-scale military conflict.
Context And Next Steps
The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place in May in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas, after Bulgarian singer Dara won the 2026 contest with her upbeat anthem "Bangaranga." Israel has taken part in Eurovision since 1973 and is one of the few non-European participants.
Calls to exclude Israel from the competition have grown amid international criticism of the Israeli government’s conduct during the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. Ireland was among five countries — along with the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia and Spain — that skipped this year’s contest in protest of Israel’s inclusion.
Recent Tensions At Eurovision
Recent editions of Eurovision have seen heightened political tension: the 2024 contest in Malmö, the 2025 event in Basel and this year’s edition in Vienna all featured pro-Palestinian demonstrations and increased security measures. Organisers say they are working to keep the contest safe and inclusive while broadcasters continue to make independent participation decisions.
Bottom Line: RTÉ’s boycott underscores how geopolitical conflicts and humanitarian concerns are shaping participation in what has traditionally been a pan-continental cultural event.
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