AVROTROS, the Dutch national broadcaster, will not participate at the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, in Burgas – opening the door for other Dutch public broadcasters.

AVROTROS have decided against participation for a second year, returning the participation rights back to NPO – the umbrella organisation for Dutch public broadcasters. AVROTROS’ Director General, Taco Zimmerman, had the following to say:

“AVROTROS will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 because the event can no longer be considered neutral, with a participating country still involved in a large-scale military conflict. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are having a significant impact on the Contest and have led to deep divisions. Over the past year, AVROTROS has called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to establish transparent rules for the participation of countries involved in military conflicts. However, the recently announced changes by the EBU do not provide sufficient confidence that the independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored. Participation is therefore no longer consistent with the values of AVROTROS: trustworthiness, independence and humanity.

The severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza and the ongoing restrictions on press freedom have contributed to increasing divisions surrounding the Eurovision Song Contest in recent years. This is reflected in, for example, the decision of five countries not to participate in 2026, former winners returning their trophies, and more than 1000 musicians and cultural professionals calling on the EBU, in an open letter, to intervene. This underlines the need for a clear framework for assessing the participation of countries involved in military conflicts. Under which circumstances is participation compatible with a neutral Eurovision Song Contest, and when is it not? For AVROTROS, it remains unclear on what basis the EBU makes that assessment.

The Eurovision Song Contest was originally created to bring people and countries together. It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character. The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division. As a public broadcaster, we remain committed to our values. They guide us in everything we do, even when that means stepping away from an event that is very close to our hearts. That is painful as we would have very much liked to be part of the Contest again next year.”

Martin Green CBE, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, had the following to say:

“We regret AVROTROS’ decision to no longer participate in the Eurovision Song Contest but understand their choice and respect the views of our member broadcasters. The Eurovision Song Contest has always been a place to bring people together, celebrate diverse communities, and show that a better world is possible even in the most difficult times.

We will now continue our dialogue with NPO, the umbrella organisation for Dutch public service media, regarding the opportunities for another broadcaster to participate. We very much hope that audiences and artists in the Netherlands can continue to be represented in the Eurovision Song Contest.”

Omroep Max have already CONFIRMED that taking on participation is less likely by the day. KRO-NCRV have stated “In terms of programming, this does not fit with KRO-NCRV’s programming lineup, so we have no plans for it.”, while BNNVARA stated “We consider it a strong and courageous decision by AVROTROS and fully support our colleagues in this.”. The following nine public broadcasters could still take on the participation:

• EO
• Human
• NOS
• NTR
• ON
• PowNed
• VPRO
• WNL
• Zwart

Let us know what you think about The Netherlands and the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest – either in the comments below or on our FACEBOOK, BLUESKY, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM and TIKTOK pages.

The Eurovision Community, which Eurovision Ireland are a part of, celebrates diversity through music. Please keep your comments respectful. We will not tolerate racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, body-shaming or any other derogatory or hostile language.

Author: Richard Taylor

Source: Eurovoix