Ireland has announced its decision to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for the second consecutive year due to Israel’s involvement, as confirmed by the country’s national broadcaster, RTE. The broadcaster stated that Ireland will not be participating in the 2027 competition in Bulgaria and will not air the event, citing concerns over the ongoing loss of lives in Gaza.
This marks Ireland as one of the five countries, alongside the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, and Spain, that opted out of Eurovision this year to express their objection to Israel’s presence in the pan-European music competition. AVROTROS, the Dutch broadcaster, revealed last month that they will also abstain from participating in the next year’s event, labeling Eurovision as a platform that fosters division.
AVROTROS explained their decision by emphasizing that the Eurovision Song Contest can no longer be regarded as a neutral platform, especially when a participating country is embroiled in a significant military conflict. The upcoming competition is scheduled to be held in May at Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Burgas.