World News

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS pulls out of 2027 Eurovision Song Contest

Public broadcaster AVROTROS cited ongoing geopolitical conflicts and stated that recent rule changes fail to restore the event's neutral character.

Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 12:55 UTC6 reports

The short version

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced it will boycott the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest in Burgas, Bulgaria, marking its second consecutive withdrawal.
Network officials stated the competition can no longer be considered neutral due to participating countries' involvement in major military conflicts, specifically pointing to the war in Gaza.
Recent rule updates by the European Broadcasting Union that ban nations in active conflict from hosting the contest were deemed insufficient by AVROTROS.
The umbrella organization NPO is deliberating whether another Dutch public broadcaster could represent the Netherlands in 2027.

AVROTROS Director-General Taco Zimmerman stated that international conflicts are undermining the contest's neutral character, calling Eurovision a platform for division.[BBC News · Associated Press]
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) updated its rules to prevent any nation involved in an armed conflict or sensitive geopolitical situation from hosting the following year's event if it wins.[BBC News]
AVROTROS publicly called on the EBU to establish transparent participation rules regarding nations involved in military conflicts, Gaza's severe humanitarian suffering, and press freedom restrictions.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Five countries—the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia—boycotted the previous Eurovision event over Israel's participation.[Deutsche Welle · Al Jazeera]
EBU contest director Martin Green stated that the organization regrets the decision by AVROTROS and is continuing dialogue with Dutch public service media umbrella NPO.[BBC News]
The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, on May 15 following the 2026 victory by Bulgarian singer Dara.[Deutsche Welle · Al Jazeera]

It remains undecided whether another network under the NPO public broadcasting umbrella will step in to sponsor a Dutch entry for the 2027 contest.[BBC News · Associated Press]