Skip to content

RTÉ boycotts Eurovision for second year in a row

News imagePA Media People attend a pro-Palestine protest outside the RTE in Dublin, calling for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest.PA Media
In a statement, RTÉ said it feels Ireland's participation "cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza"

Irish broadcaster RTÉ will not broadcast or participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest.

It is the second year in a row that the broadcaster has not participated in the competition.

In 2026, RTÉ withdrew from the 2026 contest in Vienna, after the European Broadcasting Union confirmed that Israeli public broadcaster KAN would be allowed to take part.

In a statement they said: "RTÉ feels that Ireland's participation cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."

Last year Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia boycotted the Eurovision Song Contest, after it was decided Israel could compete.

RTÉ added that they also remain "deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory".

Ireland has won the competition seven times between 1970 and 1996, a joint record holder alongside Sweden.

News imagePA Media Noam Bettan representing Israel, during the grand final for the Eurovision Song Contest in the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. He is wearing dark leather clothing holding up an Israeli flagPA Media
Noam Bettan represented Israel in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in second place

The 2027 contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, with the Grand Final being held at the Arena Burgas on 15 May. The semi-finals will take place on 11 and 13 May.

Bulgaria earned the right to host the contest after DARA won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna with Bangaranga, the country's first victory in the competition.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has also said it will not participate in Eurovision 2027.

It said the competition can no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict.

Israel rejects allegations of genocide. It says its troops conduct self-defence operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in accordance with international law.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

During Israel's military campaign in Gaza more than 73,780 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.