Dailyfinland iconDailyfinlandAug 25, 2026 ~1 min source read

Dutch broadcaster boycotts Eurovision 2027 over Israel's participation

Contest has therefore become a platform for division," Taco Zimmerman, director-general of AVROTROS, said in a statement. "It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character.

Dutch broadcaster boycotts Eurovision 2027 over Israel's participation

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"It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character.

Contest has therefore become a platform for division," Taco Zimmerman, director-general of AVROTROS, said in a statement.

The Netherlands, along with four other countries, has boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Austria over Israel's participation, exposing widening cracks across Europe.

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The useful part

"It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character. Contest has therefore become a platform for division," Taco Zimmerman, director-general of AVROTROS, said in a statement. The Netherlands, along with four other countries, has boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Austria over Israel's participation, exposing widening cracks across Europe.

How it works

  • Earlier this month, the EBU updated its rules, saying that if a country involved in an armed conflict wins the competition, it will be ineligible to host it the following year.

What to take from it

Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS said Monday that it will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, arguing that the event can no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict, reported Xinhua.

Details worth keeping

AVROTROS said in the statement that over the past year it had repeatedly called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, to establish transparent rules governing the participation of countries involved in military conflicts.

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