Why Ireland will be boycotting Eurovision for a second year in a row

WorldMusic
17 Sep 2026 • 8:08 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Why Ireland will be boycotting Eurovision for a second year in a row

  • Irish national broadcaster RTÉ has officially announced that Ireland will neither participate in nor broadcast the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, which is scheduled to take place in the Bulgarian city of Burgas.
  • Bosses at RTÉ stated that Ireland's involvement cannot be justified due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and severe loss of civilian lives in Gaza, alongside deep concerns over the restriction of independent media access to the territory.
  • The decision marks the second consecutive boycott by seven-time winners Ireland, who also withdrew from the 2026 competition where Israel participated and finished in second place.
  • Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green expressed regret over the decision while affirming full respect for RTÉ's choice and acknowledging the significant historic contribution Ireland has made to the event.
  • The boycott follows joint calls from countries including Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia for Israel's exclusion, which led organisers to introduce new rules prohibiting countries at war from hosting future contests.

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