Ireland to boycott Eurovision 2027 over ‘Israeli’ participation

• RTÉ confirmed Ireland will not send an act to or broadcast Eurovision 2027, citing the "ongoing loss of lives in Gaza." 

Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed that the country will neither send an act to nor broadcast the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, citing the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

The announcement, made on Thursday,, marks the second consecutive year Ireland has pulled out of the competition over 'Israel's' participation.

RTÉ's statement

In a statement, RTÉ said Ireland's involvement in the contest could not be justified given the "appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza" and the humanitarian crisis it said continues to put civilian lives at risk. The broadcaster added that it remains "deeply concerned" about the continued denial of independent access for international journalists trying to enter Gaza.

Next year's competition is scheduled to take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, on the Black Sea coast in May 2027.

A position that has held 

RTÉ first signaled its intent to withdraw in September 2025, when it said Irish participation in the 2026 contest would be "unconscionable" given the war in Gaza, and warned it would not compete if ‘Israel’ remained in the lineup. 

That warning became reality: Ireland ultimately sat out the 2026 contest, which was held in Austria and won by Bulgaria, with ‘Israel’ finishing second.

With this week's announcement, RTÉ has confirmed its position remains unchanged heading into 2027, Ireland will stay out again as long as 'Israel' continues to participate.

Ireland is not alone

Ireland was one of five broadcasters, alongside the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, and Spain, that skipped the 2026 contest in protest of ‘Israel's’ inclusion. 

The Netherlands' broadcaster, AVROTROS, has already confirmed it will boycott 2027 as well, describing Eurovision as having become a "platform for division" that it said can no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict.

Spain's culture minister has also indicated the country may withdraw again if ‘Israel’ is kept in the competition, arguing that normalizing 'Israel's' participation in international events "as if nothing is happening" is untenable.

Read more: ‘Israel’ boycott threats push Allianz out of Spanish festival