Ireland confirms non-participation Eurovision 2027

Ireland has moved from threat to apparent confirmation on Eurovision 2027. Informat reported on May 22 that Ireland will not take part in next year’s contest after the 2026 edition in Vienna was hit by protests and broadcaster boycotts over Israel’s participation. RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst had already said this week that he saw “no reason at the moment” to reverse Ireland’s position. The Netherlands, by contrast, has not made a final call and is waiting for an evaluation from the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU. ### How firm is Ireland’s decision? RTÉ’s Kevin Bakhurst said on Ireland’s “Morning Ireland” program this week that there was “no reason at the moment” to change the broadcaster’s decision, according to Yahoo News UK’s account of the interview. He said RTÉ would review the matter in the coming months, but added that its rationale still held because civilians were still dying in Gaza and Lebanon and journalists were still being targeted. (informat.ro) Informat reported on May 22 that Ireland had confirmed it would not participate in Eurovision 2027, describing Ireland as the first country to announce non-participation after the Vienna contest. The report said Bakhurst had emphasized there were no reasons to change the decision, given the humanitarian situation in Gaza. (uk.news.yahoo.com) ### What happened at Eurovision 2026 that led to this? Vienna hosted the 2026 contest amid protests outside the venue and a widening boycott by broadcasters. Al Jazeera reported on May 16 that thousands protested Israel’s inclusion in the contest and that five countries — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — withdrew in protest. (informat.ro) The dispute centered on the EBU’s refusal to exclude Israel while Russia remains barred from the contest after its invasion of Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera. Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard called that an example of “blatant double standards,” in remarks reported by the outlet. ### Why is the Netherlands still undecided? (aljazeera.com) Dutch broadcasters NPO and AVROTROS said they were waiting for an EBU report before deciding whether to compete in 2027, according to Eurovoix, which cited a statement to Dutch media. NPO said it was too early to say whether the Netherlands would return and that it would discuss the matter with AVROTROS after the EBU evaluation. (aljazeera.com) AVROTROS had already withdrawn from the 2026 contest because of objections to Israel’s participation, Eurovoix reported. The contest was still shown in the Netherlands with coverage from NOS and NTR. ### Which other countries are in question? Informat said Iceland, Spain and Slovenia had not yet issued statements on 2027 participation, though it described them as having taken firm positions against Israel’s participation. (eurovoix.com) The same report said Belgium had confirmed its participation. Yahoo News UK separately reported that Belgian broadcaster VRT had also cast doubt on its own participation in next year’s event. (eurovoix.com) That suggests the list of broadcasters still weighing their position may remain fluid in the months after Vienna. ### What is the next formal step before more 2027 decisions? The EBU evaluation sought by NPO and AVROTROS is the clearest next milestone now on record. (informat.ro) Eurovoix reported on May 17 that the Dutch broadcasters were explicitly waiting for that assessment before deciding whether the Netherlands would be on the 2027 stage in Bulgaria. Bulgaria is due to host Eurovision 2027 after winning the 2026 contest in Vienna, according to Informat’s report. (uk.news.yahoo.com) Further decisions from RTÉ, the Dutch broadcasters and other national broadcasters are likely to be tied to whatever the EBU says in that review. (informat.ro) (eurovoix.com)