Netherlands to return to Eurovision in 2027 after boycotting 2026 contest over Israel
The Netherlands will return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 after boycotting this year’s competition over Israel’s participation.
The country’s public broadcasting organisation NPO confirmed that the Netherlands will take part in the 2027 contest, with an independent team responsible for selecting and supporting the Dutch entry. The decision comes after broadcaster AVROTROS withdrew from the 2026 competition, saying Eurovision could no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remained involved in a large-scale military conflict.
AVROTROS had previously been responsible for both selecting the Netherlands’ Eurovision entry and broadcasting the contest. From 2027, those responsibilities will be separated.
The NPO will coordinate the Dutch entry, while broadcaster NOS will provide coverage of the Eurovision semi-finals and final. The NPO said this structure would allow NOS to report on the competition independently while an external team oversees the selection of the Dutch act.
NPO chair Jet de Ranitz said the organisation recognised that the decision to participate could prompt mixed feelings in the Netherlands. She said the NPO had asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to place Eurovision’s unifying purpose at the centre of the event again, particularly amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and conflict.
The decision follows changes introduced by the EBU after controversy surrounding voting and political campaigning at previous Eurovision contests. The organisation reduced the maximum number of public votes that could be cast per payment method from 20 to 10 and brought professional juries back into the semi-finals.
The EBU has also introduced a rule preventing a winning country from hosting Eurovision if it is involved in an armed conflict or a sensitive geopolitical situation.
The Netherlands was among several countries that withdrew from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest following the EBU’s decision to allow Israel to compete. Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and Iceland also announced boycotts in December 2025, although their positions for 2027 have since differed.
Ireland has confirmed that it will not participate in or broadcast the 2027 contest, citing the ongoing humanitarian crisis and loss of life in Gaza. Spain is also considering maintaining its suspension, while Iceland and Slovenia have yet to confirm their positions.
The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, with the semi-finals scheduled for May 11 and 13 and the grand final on May 15. The Netherlands’ representative will be announced at a later date.
