Official: Ireland will not participate in Eurovision 2027 in Bulgaria either

Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ has officially announced that Ireland will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Bulgaria, and will not broadcast the event. The decision was justified by an "unchanged" stance amid the fighting in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis, as well as concerns over the lack of independent access for international journalists. The Netherlands has also announced its withdrawal. The competition will be held in Burgas, following Bulgaria's victory in 2026.

Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ announced today (Thursday) that Ireland will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Bulgaria, and will not broadcast the event. In an official statement, the network said its position on participation "remains unchanged" amid the fighting in the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian crisis in the region. RTÉ also cited concern over the lack of independent access for international journalists to the territory. The decision follows Ireland's withdrawal from the 2026 competition in Vienna, after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) approved the participation of the Israeli public broadcaster "Kan". Ireland was one of five countries that did not participate in the last competition, alongside Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain. Meanwhile, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has also announced non-participation in 2027, with responsibility transferred to the umbrella organization NPO. The 2027 competition will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria, following the victory of singer DARA at Eurovision 2026 – the country's first win. The final will take place on May 15, with semi-finals on May 11 and 13. Martin Green, the competition director, expressed hope to bring back the withdrawing networks, noting that the EBU's position is that the "Kan" corporation is not responsible for government actions.