Dutch public broadcaster withdraws from Eurovision, citing Gaza war divisions

The Netherlands will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, its public broadcaster AVROTROS announced on Monday, saying growing divisions over the Gaza war have eroded the contest’s neutral character.

Broadcaster cites loss of neutrality

AVROTROS said in a statement that “it is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character. The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division,” according to the broadcaster’s Director-General Taco Zimmerman.

Changes by organisers not enough

The statement said organisers’ recent decision to exclude any country involved in an armed conflict from hosting the competition did not restore confidence that Eurovision’s independent and neutral character had been re-established. The broadcaster concluded it would not take part next year.

Context: boycotts and viewing figures

The article notes Eurovision has been hit by a wave of boycotts over Israel’s participation. Five countries the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia pulled out of the competition, with Spain, Ireland and Slovenia also refusing to broadcast the show.

Viewership for the 2026 competition was 131 million, down by 35 million from the previous year after the boycotts, the article says.

Next contest and Netherlands’ Eurovision history

Next year’s Eurovision will take place on May 15 in Burgas, Bulgaria, the article reports. It will be Bulgaria’s first time hosting after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year’s contest in Vienna with the song “Bangaranga.”

The Netherlands was a participant in the first Eurovision in 1956 and has won the contest five times. Its most recent victory came in 2019 when Duncan Laurence won with “Arcade,” which the article says later became the first Eurovision entry to reach one billion streams on Spotify, according to the Eurovision website.

AVROTROS response

AVROTROS described the withdrawal as “painful” because the broadcaster would have “very much liked to be part of the Contest again next year.” The statement added:

“As a public broadcaster, we remain committed to our values. They guide us in everything we do, even when that means stepping away from an event that is very close to our hearts.”

Recent contest outcomes

The article notes Israel finished second in both 2025 and 2026, coming close to winning on each occasion.