The Dutch national broadcaster AVROTROS denies reports of the Netherlands returning to Eurovision 2027 in Burgas, maintaining its boycott over ongoing concerns with the EBU
Jordi Versteegden, senior media reporter for the widely circulated newspaper De Telegraaf, reported that the Netherlands would officially return to compete in Eurovision 2027, held in Burgas, Bulgaria, causing a massive storm on social media. Many hoped this marked the long-awaited return of the veteran country to the contest and perhaps the beginning of the end of the boycott. Despite high expectations, in a sharp and critical statement aimed at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the Dutch national broadcaster announced that it has no intention of returning to the contest in 2027.
Sharp Criticism and Remaining Hope
This morning, AVROTROS announced that it will continue to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest in the coming year. In its statement, the national broadcaster noted that the contest is not neutral, implicitly pointing toward Israel by stating that a country engaged in a large-scale military conflict is still competing. The national broadcaster added that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East heavily impact the contest and bring substantial controversy along with them.
In its announcement, the national broadcaster also addressed the new EBU rules, which state that a country involved in a geopolitical or military crisis will not be able to host the Eurovision Song Contest if the EBU so decides. The Dutch national broadcaster stated that despite these rules, and even though they had demanded the EBU institute such regulations, it remains unsatisfied, and the implemented rules do not go far enough. According to the Dutch national broadcaster, the new rules fail to restore neutrality and independence to the character of the Eurovision Song Contest. The national broadcaster concluded its statement by saying that participation in the contest no longer aligns with the core values of AVROTROS: “credibility, independence, and humanity.”
The Hope for a Dutch Comeback
While the announcement from AVROTROS made it clear that it does not intend to return to the Eurovision Song Contest, it did not provide a definitive final answer regarding the country’s overall participation. AVROTROS is only one part of the Dutch public broadcasting system, and the Dutch public broadcasting organization NPO has the authority to reassign responsibility for Eurovision participation to another network. This morning, alongside its non-participation announcement, AVROTROS declared that it is handing full responsibility for Eurovision participation back to NPO.
Now, the Dutch public broadcasting organization will determine the country’s future in the contest. The organization could select a different national broadcaster willing to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest, meaning that despite the boycott by AVROTROS, the Netherlands may still return to the competition.
The Netherlands at Eurovision 2025
“C’est La Vie” is the title of the song performed by Claude, who represented the Netherlands at Eurovision 2025. The Netherlands qualified for the Grand Final after placing third in the first semi-final with 121 points. In the Grand Final, the Netherlands finished in 12th place with 175 points, with the jury awarding the country fifth place, but the public at home ranking it only 15th.
Eurovision 2025: This was the Netherlands’ 65th participation in Eurovision. The Netherlands joined the competition in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won it five times over the years. The Netherlands’ last victory was at Eurovision 2019 with the song “Arcade” performed by singer Duncan Laurence.
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Aviad Berger – Israeli editor, reporter, and content creator specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has been working with the EuroMix editorial team for about a year and a half. Since 2024, he has provided continuous Eurovision coverage from the host city, delivering live updates, exclusive interviews, and in-depth commentary.
Aviad is also a video editor and filmmaker active in the Israeli media industry.
