Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE, announced on Thursday that the country will once again opt out of participating in the Eurovision Song Contest due to Israel’s involvement. The decision stems from RTE’s objection to what it referred to as the “appalling and continuous loss of lives in Gaza,” leading to the withdrawal of an Irish act from the 2027 competition in Bulgaria and the non-broadcasting of the event.
This marks the second consecutive year that Ireland has chosen to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest in solidarity with other nations like the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, and Spain, who also skipped the contest this year in protest against Israel’s inclusion.
Following suit, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS recently declared its boycott of the upcoming Eurovision, citing the contest as a “platform for division.” AVROTROS expressed concerns about the lack of neutrality in the event, particularly with a participating country being embroiled in a significant military conflict.
Scheduled for May in Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Burgas, the 2027 Eurovision competition faces the absence of several countries in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding Israel’s participation.