The Netherlands is set to remain absent from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 after Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS confirmed that it will not participate in the Contest in Burgas.
The announcement, made on 24 August, means AVROTROS will stay away from Eurovision for a second consecutive year, having also withdrawn from the 2026 Contest in Vienna.
The broadcaster says geopolitical tensions surrounding the Contest, particularly Israel’s continued participation amid the conflict in Gaza, have undermined its confidence that Eurovision can currently operate as an independent and neutral event.
However, there is an important distinction: AVROTROS has withdrawn, but the possibility of another Dutch broadcaster entering Eurovision 2027 has not yet been completely closed.
Why has AVROTROS withdrawn?
AVROTROS says it has spent the past year calling on the European Broadcasting Union to establish clearer and more transparent rules governing the participation of broadcasters representing countries involved in military conflicts.
The broadcaster argues that the EBU’s recently announced changes have not gone far enough.
According to AVROTROS, the organisation still lacks a sufficiently clear framework explaining when participation by a country involved in an international military conflict is compatible with Eurovision’s neutral character.
The broadcaster specifically pointed to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and restrictions affecting press freedom as factors contributing to its decision.
AVROTROS Director-General Taco Zimmerman said international conflicts were increasingly affecting Eurovision and creating division around an event originally designed to bring countries and audiences together.
The broadcaster said withdrawing was a painful decision because it would have preferred to return to the Contest in 2027.
A second consecutive Dutch absence
The decision follows the Netherlands’ withdrawal from Eurovision 2026.
AVROTROS announced in December 2025 that it would not participate in Vienna after EBU members backed a package of reforms that allowed all eligible members complying with the new rules to participate.
The Netherlands consequently missed Eurovision for the first time since 2002.
Its absence in 2027 would therefore extend that break to two consecutive editions — something extremely unusual for one of Eurovision’s longest-standing participating countries.
The Netherlands was one of the seven countries participating in the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 and has competed 67 times.
It has won the competition five times, most recently with Duncan Laurence and “Arcade” in 2019.
The EBU says the door remains open
The European Broadcasting Union responded to AVROTROS shortly after the announcement.
Eurovision Director Martin Green said the organisation regretted the broadcaster’s decision and would miss its participation in Burgas.
At the same time, the EBU stressed that participation ultimately remains a decision for individual broadcasters.
The organisation also noted an important feature of the Dutch broadcasting system: AVROTROS is not the only public broadcaster operating under the umbrella of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO).
That creates an unusual situation for Eurovision 2027.
Could the Netherlands still participate?
Potentially — although there is currently no confirmation that it will.
AVROTROS has formally informed the NPO of its decision and has returned responsibility for Dutch Eurovision participation to the NPO.
The NPO will now determine how to proceed.
This means the announcement is more precisely described as AVROTROS withdrawing from Eurovision 2027, rather than an absolute confirmation that no Dutch broadcaster can appear in Burgas.
Another eligible Dutch broadcaster could theoretically become responsible for the country’s participation if the necessary arrangements were made with the NPO and EBU.
Whether that will happen remains unclear.
Until another broadcaster steps forward, the expectation is that the Netherlands will be absent from Eurovision 2027.
AVROTROS says the latest reforms are not enough
The decision is particularly notable because the EBU has already introduced significant changes intended to strengthen trust in Eurovision.
Following controversies surrounding voting and promotional campaigns, new safeguards were introduced ahead of Eurovision 2026. The Contest’s governing Reference Group has subsequently approved further amendments and clarifications to the rules for Bulgaria 2027.
Those measures cover areas including voting integrity, promotional activity and the responsibilities of participating broadcasters.
For AVROTROS, however, those reforms do not resolve its fundamental concern.
The broadcaster’s objection is broader than the mechanics of Eurovision voting. It is asking for a transparent framework governing how the EBU assesses participation when countries are involved in major military conflicts.
AVROTROS says it still does not understand clearly enough what criteria the EBU uses to make those decisions.
What does this mean for Eurovision 2027?
The Dutch announcement will inevitably renew attention on the final Eurovision 2027 participation list.
The Contest has experienced one of the most politically turbulent periods in its recent history, with several broadcasters choosing not to participate in Eurovision 2026.
AVROTROS’s decision demonstrates that the controversy has not disappeared with the beginning of a new Eurovision season.
It may also increase scrutiny on broadcasters that have yet to make their intentions for Burgas clear.
The EBU normally confirms the complete list of participating broadcasters later in the year, meaning the final size of Eurovision 2027 remains unknown.
A significant absence for Eurovision
If no alternative Dutch broadcaster takes responsibility for participation, Eurovision 2027 will proceed without one of the Contest’s founding nations for a second consecutive year.
The Netherlands has played a major role throughout Eurovision history, from participating in the very first Contest to hosting the competition several times and producing one of Eurovision’s biggest international hits with “Arcade”.
For Dutch Eurovision fans, however, there remains a small but important element of uncertainty.
AVROTROS has definitively said no to Eurovision 2027. Whether that ultimately means the Netherlands itself will be completely absent from Burgas is now a question for the NPO.
Until that process produces a different outcome, the Netherlands should be considered outside the Eurovision 2027 lineup.