Dutch broadcaster AvroTros to boycott 2027 Eurovision Song Contest

Dutch broadcaster AvroTros will boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest, in protest at Israel's participation in the competition amid the war in Gaza.

The public service broadcaster, which is part of the NPO - the umbrella organisation for the Dutch public broadcasting system - said recent changes to rules, preventing countries involved in "armed conflict" from hosting, were unclear.

AvroTros said in a statement: "The recently announced changes by ‌the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) do not provide sufficient confidence ‌that the independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored".

The broadcaster went on to say participation in the competition was "no longer consistent with the values of AvroTros: trustworthiness, independence and humanity".

AvroTros says ​it will hand the ​decision on Dutch participation to ⁠the NPO.

Eurovision director Martin Green said the EBU "regretted" AvroTros's decision, but "understood their choice".

Mr Green said the EBU will continue a dialogue with NPO "regarding the opportunities for another broadcaster to participate".

Earlier this month, the EBU announced it would be updating the contest's rules, relating to the countries which could host the event. Normally, countries are invited to host if their act has won the contest the previous year.

Under the new rules, broadcasters cannot host if their country is involved in armed conflict or a "sensitive geopolitical situation" that could affect the safety of the event.

Broadcasters will now "automatically be ineligible to host the contest if an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region".

It will be the second year in a row AvroTros has refused to participate in the competition.

In 2024, the Dutch representative, Joost Klein, was axed from the competition just hours before the grand final over allegations he made verbal threats to a female member of Eurovision staff.

It was the first time in Eurovision history that an act was disqualified after reaching the grand final. A criminal investigation by Swedish police was later dropped.

While there is a tradition of a country hosting if its act won, changes have been made in the past, with the 2023 contest held being in Liverpool, in the UK, following Ukraine's win the previous year - because of the Ukraine war. At the time, the EBU said Russia's invasion made it impossible to begin the 12 months of preparation needed to organise the show.

The EBU said the rule changes had been made following feedback from participating broadcasters, and that the updates would provide greater clarity for artists and production staff.

As the world's largest live music competition, Eurovision is watched by millions around the world.

This year, five countries - Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia - all withdrew after Israel's place in the contest was confirmed.

Next year's competition is due to take place in Bulgaria in 2027 after singer Dara's victory for the country in May.

(c) Sky News 2026: Dutch broadcaster AvroTros to boycott 2027 Eurovision Song Contest