Ireland boycotts the "Eurovision" Song Contest for the second time over Israel's participation and the war in Gaza
Kyiv • UNN
Ireland will not participate in the 2027 "Eurovision" Song Contest due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Four other countries had previously boycotted the contest.
Ireland will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for the second year in a row because of the "horrific" and ongoing killings in Gaza. The national broadcaster announced this, UNN reports, citing The Guardian.
Details
Ireland was one of five countries — along with Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia — that refused to participate in this year’s contest in protest against Israel’s participation.
On Thursday, broadcaster RTÉ announced that it would not participate in the 2027 contest. Dutch broadcaster Avrotros announced its own boycott last month, calling Eurovision "a platform for division."
In its statement, the Irish broadcaster said: "RTÉ believes that Ireland’s participation cannot be justified in view of the horrific and ongoing loss of human life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of many civilians at risk."
Next year, Eurovision is scheduled to take place in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas after the country won the contest for the first time in May.
Avrotros said it would not participate, arguing that the contest "can no longer be considered neutral when a participating country is involved in a large-scale military conflict."
Eurovision director Martin Green expressed regret but also respect for RTÉ’s decision. "They remain an important part of our family, and we will miss them," he said.
"This ability to bring people together is at the heart of what makes the contest so special, and it is even more important now, in an increasingly complex and divided world," he added.
"All broadcasters make decisions each year about participating in the following year’s contest. We will continue our dialogue with RTÉ and hope to welcome them back to the contest in the future."
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the event, has twice attempted to respond to broadcasters’ concerns about Israel’s participation.
Last year, it limited the number of votes one person could cast online or by phone amid allegations that Israel had mounted a disproportionately large campaign to win viewers’ votes.
Last month, the EBU announced that broadcasters would no longer be allowed to host the Eurovision Song Contest if their country is involved in an "armed conflict" or is in a "sensitive geopolitical situation." In recent years, the Eurovision Song Contest has been accompanied by protests both at competition venues and outside them over the participation of Israel, which has competed in the contest since 1973.
In 2024, the European Commission took the unusual step of criticizing the organizers’ decision to ban spectators from unfurling the EU flag during the grand final in Sweden; the decision was called "astonishing" and "regrettable."
The Palestinian Authority reports that more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel’s war in Gaza, which began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people during an attack on southern Israel in October 2023.
A US-mediated ceasefire agreement reached last year provides for the territory’s further reconstruction, but Israeli strikes continue. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 1,369 Palestinians have been killed and 4,627 wounded since the fragile truce took effect on October 11, 2025.