Ireland will not take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, Irish public broadcaster RTÉ announced on Thursday.
"RTÉ feels that 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 broadcaster wrote in its statement.
RTÉ also stated that it remains "deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory."
Martin Green, the director of the contest, said that the European Broadcasting Union regretted the Irish broadcaster’s choice, but "fully respects their decision.”
Netherlands to participate in continued boycott of Eurovision
Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS in August announced that it would also not participate in the 2027 competition, citing Israel’s participation and what it claimed was the EBU’s “lack of neutrality.”
AVROTROS director-general Taco Zimmerman elaborated on the decision, stating that “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.”
Ireland, along with four other countries, also refused to take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, and Ireland all withdrew from the competition in protest of Israel’s involvement in the Gaza war.
Tzvi Jasper and Reuters contributed to this report.