Ireland will not participate in Eurovision for the second consecutive year due to Israel's presence

Irish public broadcaster RTÉ has announced Ireland’s withdrawal from Eurovision 2027, citing the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s participation in the competition. This is the second consecutive year in which Ireland has not taken part in the contest.

RTÉ said that participation could not be justified amid the loss of human life and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which continues to severely affect the civilian population. The broadcaster also expressed concern over the refusal to allow independent access for international journalists to the Palestinian territories.

Ireland, one of the most successful countries in Eurovision history, has won the competition seven times, a record it shares with Sweden.

The Netherlands has also confirmed that it will not participate in 2027. Broadcaster AVROTROS argues that Eurovision can no longer be considered neutral as long as one of the participating countries is involved in a large-scale military conflict. The Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia also boycotted the previous edition after the EBU confirmed the participation of Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2027 is scheduled to take place in May at Arena Burgas in Bulgaria, following artist DARA’s victory in the 2026 edition.

Israel rejects allegations of genocide and says that its military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank constitute acts of self-defence. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 73,000 people have been killed as a result of the military operations, a figure considered credible by UN institutions.