Ireland will not take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, its national broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed, marking the second consecutive year the country has withdrawn from the competition in protest over Israel's continued participation and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Netherlands is also set to sit out again, after broadcaster Avrotros announced its own boycott last month.

In a statement, RTÉ said: "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." The Irish broadcaster also cited concerns that journalists are unable to report independently from Gaza — a point echoed by Avrotros, which said the contest "can no longer be considered neutral, with a participating country still involved in a large-scale military conflict." Avrotros added that it considered Eurovision to have become "a platform for division."

Ireland was one of five countries — alongside Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain — that boycotted this year's edition of the contest, held in Basel, Switzerland. Those other four nations have yet to announce whether they will return for the 2027 competition. Next year's Eurovision will be hosted by Bulgaria, which won the contest for the first time in May, with the grand final scheduled for 15 May in the Black Sea city of Burgas. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, said it regretted but respected RTÉ's decision and would remain in dialogue with the broadcaster. Regarding the Netherlands, the EBU is reportedly in talks with other Dutch public service broadcasters to explore whether an alternative network might step in.

The EBU has introduced a series of measures in recent years in response to growing controversy over Israel's participation. Last year, it restricted the number of online and telephone votes any one individual could cast, following allegations of a disproportionate Israeli public voting campaign. More recently, it announced that countries involved in an armed conflict or a sensitive geopolitical situation would no longer be eligible to host the competition. Israel, which has competed in Eurovision since 1973, launched its military campaign in Gaza following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed approximately 1,200 people. Palestinian authorities report that more than 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then. According to Gaza's health ministry, 1,369 Palestinians have been killed and 4,627 wounded since a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States took effect on 11 October 2025.

The growing list of boycotts raises pointed questions about Eurovision's long-standing identity as a politically neutral cultural event. For the EBU, the challenge is to preserve the contest's broad appeal and inclusive spirit at a time when an active military conflict is pulling more broadcasters toward the exit — and when no diplomatic resolution appears imminent.