DUBLIN: Ireland will skip the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest and will not broadcast the event, public broadcaster RTÉ announced on Thursday, Sept, 17, citing the continuing loss of civilian lives and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The decision means Ireland will miss Eurovision for the second consecutive year, adding another major jolt to a music competition already facing growing controversy over Israel’s participation. RTÉ said its position had not changed and that taking part could not be justified while the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues.
RTÉ also said it remains deeply concerned about the continued lack of independent access for international journalists seeking to report from Gaza. Ireland joins the Netherlands, which has also decided to stay out of the 2027 contest.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said Eurovision could no longer be viewed as neutral while a participating country remains involved in a major military conflict. The controversy follows a turbulent 2026 Eurovision season.
Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia and Spain all withdrew from that year's competition over Israel's participation. RTÉ also refused to broadcast the 2026 contest.
Eurovision organizers said they regretted RTÉ's decision while respecting the broadcaster's choice. Eurovision director Martin Green said organizers would remain in contact with RTÉ and hoped Ireland would return in the future.
The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, with the semifinals set for May 11 and 13 and the grand final on May 15 at Arena Burgas.
The Eurovision Song Contest is the longest-running annual international televised music competition in the world, as determined by Guinness World Records, and around 40 countries now regularly take part each year. Several other competitions have been inspired by Eurovision in the years since its formation, and the EBU has also created a number of complementary contests which focus on other aspects of music and culture.
The Eurovision Song Contest was first held in 1956. Following a series of exchange broadcasts in 1954 through its Eurovision transmission network, from an idea proposed by Sergio Pugliese and developed by Marcel Bezençon, and originally based on the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. Ireland has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 58 times since its debut.
Furthermore, Bambie Ray Robinson is the first openly non-binary artist to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest, doing so in 2024 with the song "Doomsday Blue". They finished in sixth place, becoming Ireland's highest scoring entrant and scoring the country its best placement in the contest since 2000.
The contest, one of the world's biggest televised music events, has faced mounting political tensions in recent years as protests and calls for boycotts have followed Israel's continued participation. Ireland's withdrawal now puts Eurovision's growing political controversy back in the spotlight ahead of the 2027 competition.
