Ireland to Boycott Eurovision 2027 in Burgas

Ireland will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 or broadcast the competition, citing the ongoing loss of life and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Irish public broadcaster RTÉ announced.

Ireland, which also boycotted the 2026 contest because of Israel's participation, will join the Netherlands in withdrawing from the world's largest live televised music event. RTÉ is responsible for Ireland's national Eurovision selection and entry.

“RTÉ will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, nor will it broadcast the competition,” the broadcaster said.

RTÉ added that “Ireland's participation cannot be justified given the horrific and ongoing loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis that continues to endanger so many civilians.”

Earlier this month, Eurovision organizers announced that countries involved in an armed conflict would not be allowed to host the contest.

Israel has been at war in Gaza since 2023 and came close to winning Eurovision in both 2025 and 2026, finishing second on each occasion.

The Dutch public broadcaster, which is also withdrawing, said the decision to prevent countries involved in armed conflicts from hosting Eurovision was not “sufficient.” It argued that the contest can no longer be viewed as a neutral event because of the divisions surrounding the war in Gaza.

Founded in 1955, Eurovision has grown into one of the world's biggest platforms for popular music. The contest helped propel Swedish group ABBA to international fame and contributed to the careers of artists including Celine Dion, Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John.

The 2026 contest attracted 131 million viewers, 35 million fewer than the previous year. The decline followed a boycott by five countries over Israel's participation.

The Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia withdrew from the 2026 edition. Spain, Ireland and Slovenia also chose not to broadcast the contest.

Eurovision 2027 is scheduled to take place on May 15 in Burgas, Bulgaria.