Ireland will not take part in Eurovision 2027 and will not broadcast the contest. The national broadcaster RTÉ has announced a boycott for the second year running, citing the situation in Gaza and Israel’s participation in the contest as the reasons for its decision. A similar decision had previously been taken by the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS.
- Ireland will not be taking part in Eurovision 2027.
- RTÉ will not be broadcasting the contest either.
- They cited the situation in Gaza as the reason.
- The Netherlands also declined to take part.
- Eurovision 2027 is set to take place in Bulgaria.
Why did Ireland pull out of Eurovision?
On 17 September, RTÉ officially confirmed that the broadcaster’s position on the competition «remains unchanged».
In its statement, the company noted that it did not consider Ireland’s involvement to be justified, given the resulting civilian casualties and the humanitarian the situation in Gaza. RTÉ also expressed concern about the limited access independent international journalists have to the area.
Consequently, not only will Ireland not be sending an act, but also will not broadcast Eurovision 2027 on RTÉ.
This is the second boycott in a row
Ireland is boycotting the contest for the second year running. In 2026, it was one of five countries that did not take part due to Israel’s participation. Along with Ireland, the following countries also boycotted the contest that year Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia.
The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has already confirmed that it will not be returning in 2027 either. The broadcaster stated that, in its view, the contest can no longer be considered neutral whilst one of the participating countries remains embroiled in a large-scale armed conflict.
What did the Eurovision organisers say?
Director of Eurovision Martin Green stated that the organisers They regret RTÉ’s decision, but respect it.
According to him, the European Broadcasting Union will continue its dialogue with the Irish broadcaster and hopes it will return to the contest in the future.
In recent years, the EBU has already amended some of the rules against the backdrop of controversies surrounding Israel. In particular, the organisers have tightened the voting rules and the requirements regarding the political neutrality of the contest. The official Eurovision rules define the contest as a non-political event and prohibit its use for political statements whilst participating.
Eurovision 2027 will take place in Bulgaria
The next competition is scheduled to take place in Bulgaria Burgas after the first Bulgaria’s victories at the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2026.
The controversy surrounding Israel’s participation therefore continues to affect the line-up of contestants. As of 17 September, Ireland and the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS have officially announced that they will boycott the contest again in 2027.
