Ireland has announced its decision to abstain from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year due to Israel’s involvement, according to the country’s national broadcaster, RTE. The broadcaster stated that they will not be sending a representative to the 2027 event in Bulgaria and will not air the show, citing concerns over the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
This move by Ireland follows similar actions taken by five other countries, including the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, and Spain, who opted out of the Eurovision competition this year in protest against Israel’s participation. The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS recently declared that they will also be boycotting the event next year, describing Eurovision as a platform that promotes division.
“AVROTROS will be abstaining from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 due to the lack of neutrality in the event, particularly with a participating country currently engaged in a significant military conflict,” the broadcaster stated.
The upcoming Eurovision competition is scheduled to be held in May in the Bulgarian resort town of Burgas on the Black Sea coast.
