Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS announced on Monday that the Netherlands will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027. Danish Eurovision expert Simon Falk says the decision was no surprise, and that more countries may follow.
DR reports that Falk expected the Dutch withdrawal, which the broadcaster again tied to the conflict in the Middle East. According to Falk, a broadcaster that pulls out for political reasons cannot easily return unless something political has changed.
The Netherlands was one of five countries that stayed away from this year’s contest in Vienna. Euronews notes that Spain, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia also withdrew over Israel’s participation.
In its statement, AVROTROS said Eurovision can no longer be considered neutral while a participating country is involved in a large scale military conflict. As reported by Reuters, the broadcaster also criticized the absence of clear rules for excluding countries involved in such conflicts.
Per Eurovoix, AVROTROS said participation is no longer consistent with its values of trustworthiness, independence and humanity. The broadcaster has informed NPO, the umbrella body for Dutch public broadcasting, that responsibility for any Dutch entry now rests there.
EBU rule changes
The European Broadcasting Union has tried to address parts of the criticism, DR notes, including changes to the voting system intended to limit sympathy votes. Israeli entries finished second in each of the past two years, which critics attributed to such voting.
The EBU also changed its hosting rules on August 12, 2026. As reported by ESCXTRA, a winning broadcaster is automatically ineligible to host if armed conflict or a sensitive geopolitical situation materially affects security or stability in its state. Falk told DR that the wording is aimed at Israel, and at Ukraine.
Falk expects Iceland could use those measures as an argument to return, since its withdrawal focused on unequal conditions rather than politics alone. He assesses that Spain, Slovenia and Ireland placed greater weight on the political situation, and will likely follow the Dutch boycott. Reuters reports that AVROTROS considers the EBU’s rule changes insufficient to restore the contest’s neutrality.
Eurovoix reports that AVROTROS is the first of the five 2026 boycott broadcasters to confirm continued non participation. It adds that the Dutch broadcasters KRO-NCRV and BNNVARA have both ruled out organizing a Dutch entry, leaving the practical outcome unresolved.
Earlier in August, AVROTROS said it would provide an update on Dutch participation by mid August, according to That Eurovision Site. Monday’s statement is that update. Falk called it regrettable that Eurovision has become a political battleground, while the EBU maintains that the contest is apolitical.
