Ireland has decided to abstain from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year due to Israel’s involvement, as confirmed by the country’s national broadcaster on Thursday. RTE announced that they will not be sending a representative to the 2027 competition in Bulgaria and will also not air the event, citing concerns over the ongoing loss of lives in Gaza.
In a similar stance, Ireland joined four other nations – the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, and Spain – in skipping this year’s Eurovision to demonstrate opposition to Israel’s presence in the international music competition. The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS recently declared that they too will boycott the upcoming edition, labeling Eurovision as a “platform for division.”
AVROTROS justified its decision by stating, “The Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 is not impartial anymore, given the involvement of a participating country in a significant military conflict.” The upcoming contest is scheduled to be held in May in the Bulgarian city of Burgas, situated on the Black Sea coast.