Eurovision exile: RTÉ boss warns Ireland may stay away while Israel competes, as the Dutch quit the 2027 contest too

Irish Eurovision fans hoping for a quick return to the song contest have been handed a sobering message from the top of RTÉ. Director General Kevin Bakhurst has said it will be very difficult for Ireland to come back unless Israel is no longer competing, or there is a very significant change in the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

His comments, made on RTÉ’s Behind the Story podcast and reported by the Press Association on Friday, come in a week of upheaval for the contest. On Tuesday, the Netherlands confirmed it will not take part in Eurovision 2027, and on Wednesday the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced a line-up of 36 broadcasters for next May’s show in Bulgaria, with Ireland absent for a second year running.

What Bakhurst said

Bakhurst, who held senior roles at the BBC before taking charge at Montrose, said he had previously described taking part in the 2025 contest as unconscionable. He said RTÉ moved early on 2027 because of conditions in Gaza and the West Bank and the views of Irish audiences, and that four or five other broadcasters had taken the same stance.

Crucially, he does not believe the EBU can remove Israel from the competition. He said enough significant members oppose exclusion, naming the broadcasters of the UK, Germany, France and Austria as publicly against it. He added that he would not criticise the EBU, which he said was walking a very difficult line.

RTÉ has already ruled out both competing in and broadcasting the 2027 contest. In its earlier decision on this year’s show, it said participation “cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza”.

The Dutch walk away again

The Netherlands, a five-time winner that last triumphed in 2019 with Duncan Laurence’s “Arcade”, is staying away too. Dutch public broadcaster NPO said Israel’s participation causes division in Dutch society and that it was too early to return, according to AFP. NPO took over responsibility for the entry after AVROTROS, which had previously selected the Dutch act, said the event could no longer be considered neutral. Unlike RTÉ, NPO said it will still show the contest on its channels.

Martin Green, the EBU’s Eurovision director, said he was deeply sorry the Netherlands would not take part but respected the feeling behind the decision.

The Czech Republic’s public broadcaster pulled out earlier in October, citing spending cuts rather than politics.

Who is going to Burgas

The 71st Eurovision Song Contest will be held at Arena Burgas on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, with semi-finals on 11 and 13 May and the grand final on 15 May 2027. Bulgaria earned hosting rights after DARA won this year’s contest in Vienna with “Bangaranga”.

The EBU says 36 broadcasters have signed up, one more than in 2026. Canada will make its debut and North Macedonia returns for the first time since 2022. France, the UK, Ukraine and Australia are among those confirmed, and Israel’s broadcaster KAN has confirmed it will take part.

Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia all boycotted the 2026 contest, calling for Israel’s exclusion over its military offensive in Gaza, which followed the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Israel has said it is the target of a global smear campaign. AFP reported that the 2026 boycott coincided with a global audience of about 131 million, down 35 million on the previous year.

What happens next

Spain’s RTVE and Slovenia’s RTVSLO have until December to confirm their plans, and Spain’s broadcasting chief has already backed a boycott. Iceland’s RÚV has not made a final decision, though its board signalled in September that taking part was unlikely. If all three stay out, the 2027 contest could be missing six broadcasters that have competed in recent years.

For Irish viewers, the practical upshot is that there will be no Irish entry, no national selection show and, as things stand, no Eurovision on RTÉ next May. On Bakhurst’s own analysis, the door back depends on events far beyond the arena, either a change in Israel’s participation or a significant shift on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank.

Sources

• RTÉ/PA: Not ‘going to be easy’ to return to Eurovision – RTÉ DG (30 October 2026)
• RTÉ: 36 countries confirmed to compete in Eurovision 2027 (28 October 2026)
• RTÉ/AFP: Dutch broadcaster pulls out of Eurovision 2027 (27 October 2026)

Featured image: Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Stage.jpg by MrSilesian, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.