NOS will represent the Netherlands at Eurovision 2027 after AVROTROS announced another boycott over Israel’s participation.
The Netherlands will return to compete in Eurovision 2027, held in Burgas, Bulgaria. The country’s highly anticipated return comes after AVROTROS, the national broadcaster traditionally responsible for the Dutch Eurovision entry, announced a boycott of the contest and issued another strongly worded statement criticizing Israel. The Netherlands is the 27th country to confirm its participation in the coveted competition. Other countries that have already confirmed their participation include Israel, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, Canada, which will make its Eurovision debut, and host country Bulgaria.
The boycott – and the return anyway
In mid-August, AVROTROS, the national broadcaster that has traditionally selected and sent the Dutch Eurovision entry, announced that it would continue to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest in the coming year. In its statement, AVROTROS argued that the competition is not neutral, implicitly pointing to Israel by noting that a country involved in a large-scale military conflict is still competing. The national broadcaster added that the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have a major impact on the contest and bring numerous disputes with them.
Despite AVROTROS’s strong response toward Israel, the Netherlands has nevertheless decided to return to Eurovision 2027. So how did this happen? The answer lies in the structure of the Dutch public broadcasting system. The Netherlands has a public broadcasting corporation called NPO, which oversees a network of television organizations divided according to target audiences and political orientations. AVROTROS, which has represented the Netherlands at Eurovision until now, was historically associated with the political center and today leans somewhat further to the left – helping explain its decision to boycott the contest over Israel’s participation.
Stepping up to take over participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in its place is the Dutch public broadcasting organization, NPO, which is responsible for public radio and television broadcasting services in the country. Operating under it is the Dutch national broadcaster NOS, which will provide the preview broadcasts (promos and highlights), coverage of the semi-finals and the Grand Final, and the accompanying commentary. NOS is known as the most neutral media outlet in the Netherlands, enjoying higher credibility ratings than AVROTROS and generally representing the line of the Dutch government. The national broadcaster NOS participated in Eurovision from 1970 to 2009, and now, after 18 years, it will return to represent the country in the contest.
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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Ofek Jerassi is an Israeli reporter, editor, content creator, and commentator, specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has developed his extensive expertise since childhood, becoming a close follower of the contest. For the past three years, he has served as a writer and editor for EuroMix—Israel’s largest Eurovision website and one of the world’s leading platforms in the field, with over 1.5 million users annually.
Ofek covered Eurovision 2025 on-site in Basel from the press center in the host city, providing EuroMix readers with firsthand experiences, professional analysis, and exclusive reactions from the audience, artists, and experts. His in-depth knowledge and broad familiarity with the Eurovision world are evident in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
In his personal life, Ofek is a medic and avid traveler. He writes out of a genuine love for Eurovision, placing strong emphasis on credibility, professional commentary, and presenting a diverse range of opinions.
