RTÉ will not broadcast or participate in Eurovision 2027
Irish broadcaster RTÉ announced it will not participate in or broadcast the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Reason for the decision
The broadcaster stated that Ireland's participation cannot be justified due to the ongoing loss of lives in Gaza. RTÉ cited the humanitarian crisis and the risk to civilians as primary factors for this choice. The station also expressed deep concern over the continued denial of independent access to international journalists in the territory.
Previous boycott history
This marks the second consecutive year that RTÉ has withdrawn from the competition following Israel's inclusion. Ireland joined Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia in boycotting the 2026 event held in Vienna. The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS confirmed it will also skip the upcoming contest in Bulgaria.
Event logistics and host
The Grand Final is scheduled for 15 May at the Arena Burgas. Semi-finals are set to take place on 11 and 13 May of next year. Bulgaria earned hosting rights after DARA won the competition in Vienna last year.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- BBC News
- France 24
Reported by
2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.