In just one month, the Netherlands has confirmed participation in two consecutive Eurovision contests, despite last year’s dramatic disqualification. The Dutch national broadcaster announced that 331 songs have been submitted for Eurovision 2025!

Within a single month, the Dutch national broadcaster, AVROTROS, has confirmed its participation in two consecutive Eurovision Song Contests: 2025 in Basel and 2026. The Netherlands also reported significant success in the registration process for the song that will represent the country in the 2025 competition. Last Thursday at midnight, the registration closed with a total of 331 songs submitted – an impressive figure considering the short registration period, though significantly lower than Eurovision 2024, which saw 613 song submissions.

According to the Dutch national broadcaster’s statement, the candidate songs include a variety of music styles and languages – ballads, upbeat songs, and even rock, in Dutch, English, and other languages. Now, the selection committee faces the task of listening to the songs and deciding who will represent the Netherlands in the Basel competition. Additionally, the broadcaster announced that registration for selecting the song to represent the country at Eurovision 2026 will open on August 1st, 2025.

Eurovision 2024 in Malmö left a deep mark on the Netherlands, leading to significant changes in the management of the national delegation. At the center of the drama was Joost Klein, who was disqualified from participating in the final after a publicized confrontation with a production photographer. The incident, discovered during the first grand final rehearsal, led to an immediate decision by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to disqualify the singer, but without immediate update to the Dutch delegation. A recently revealed official document clarified that the disqualification decision was made long before the start of the last rehearsal for the grand final, but was not communicated in time to the Dutch participants and team. Klein himself shared on social media that he received no updates during long hours behind the scenes, and poetically referred to his situation:

“Maybe I was blind, but now I see clearly. I’m following the light.”

Amidst the drama and criticism, the Dutch national broadcaster took significant steps to change its policy, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future. According to an interview with the Eurovision Supervisory Board Chairman, Bakel Walden, private areas for artists will be defined where photography without prior permission will be prohibited. “Artists cannot be approached backstage without coordination,” stated a Dutch broadcaster spokesperson. Additionally, the role of the Dutch delegation head is being transferred to Claudia van der Pas, after Twan Van Den Nieuwenhuizen resigned from his position following the events in Malmö.

Despite the crises, the Netherlands demonstrates a strong commitment to continuing its Eurovision journey, with a record number of known performers submitting applications. There’s hope that the new measures will contribute to improving the experience for artists and delegations, as the selection committee prepares to choose the next representative for Eurovision.