Dutch Broadcaster AVROTROS Confirms Boycott of Eurovision 2027
Despite recent reports suggesting a return to the European music competition, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has officially announced it will remain out of the 2027 contest in protest against Israel's participation.
The Dutch network AVROTROS announced this morning that it will not return to Eurovision 2027 in Burgas, contradicting a previous report by media correspondent Jordi Verstegen in De Telegraaf which claimed the Netherlands would officially return to the competition.
According to the network's statement, it is continuing its boycott of Eurovision for the coming year, arguing that the competition is no longer neutral and that geopolitical tension in the Middle East continues to affect it. Participation in Eurovision no longer aligns with AVROTROS's core values—reliability, independence, and humanity, the network stated.
In its announcement, the broadcaster made a clear allusion to Israel, noting that a country currently involved in a large-scale military conflict is still participating in the contest, adding that this situation brings significant controversy to the event. AVROTROS also addressed the new rules of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which state that a country in a geopolitical or military crisis may be restricted from hosting Eurovision. The Dutch network noted that while they had previously demanded such rules, the adopted wording does not satisfy them and, in their view, fails to restore the neutrality and independence of the competition.
However, the Dutch story is not entirely closed. AVROTROS is only one part of the Dutch broadcasting system, and the responsibility for Eurovision participation now reverts to the NPO, the Dutch public broadcasting organization. This means the NPO could potentially select another broadcasting body to handle participation, so on paper, the Netherlands could still find a way back to the contest even without AVROTROS.
The Netherlands participated in Eurovision 2025 in Basel, where Claude performed the song "C’est La Vie," finishing in 12th place in the final with 175 points. The country was one of the seven founding members of the competition, joining in 1956, and has won the contest five times, most recently in 2019 with "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence.
