Netherlands out of Eurovision 2027: NPO reverses its planned return
The Netherlands will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027. The Dutch public broadcasting organisation NPO confirmed on 27 October 2026 that it is reversing its September decision to organise a return, after no broadcaster agreed to facilitate a Dutch entry. NPO says the contest will still be broadcast in the Netherlands.
Key points
- NPO confirmed on 27 October 2026: no Dutch entry at Eurovision 2027 — a reversal of its September return plan.
- NPO says no broadcaster was willing to facilitate the entry, and Israel's participation continues to cause discussion and division.
- AVROTROS had already declined 2027 in August; the Netherlands also did not compete in 2026.
- Dutch viewers can still watch: NPO says the contest will still be broadcast, in Burgas, Bulgaria.
What happened
The Dutch Eurovision entry was previously organised by AVROTROS, which withdrew from the 2026 contest after the European Broadcasting Union allowed Israel to participate, and in August 2026 said it would not return for 2027 either. NPO, the umbrella organisation for Dutch public broadcasters, then said in September that it would take responsibility for a 2027 return under a different model.
That return drew criticism, including complaints to the broadcasters' ombudsman and a letter from NPO employees urging a rethink, according to reporting of the decision. On 27 October NPO reversed course, saying it had not found a broadcaster willing to facilitate the participation and that it was too early to take part in 2027.
Claim by claim
Why this label: NPO is the issuing body for the Dutch participation decision. Its statement is quoted by Al Jazeera/AFP and reported the same way by EurovisionWorld: NPO stopped preparations after consultation with Dutch broadcasters and could not find a suitable organisational solution.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: From NPO's own statement, quoted in reporting of the decision. This is NPO's stated reasoning — Vozia reports it as the organisation's position, not as an independent finding about the contest.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: Reported consistently in the coverage of NPO's reversal and in Al Jazeera's account of the August AVROTROS decision.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
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Why this label: NPO chair Jet de Ranitz said the contest would still be aired on public channels, per Al Jazeera/AFP; Al Jazeera also reports Burgas, Bulgaria as the 2027 host city. Not competing is not the same as not broadcasting.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- The decision itself and NPO's stated reasons are from NPO's own statement, quoted by Al Jazeera/AFP and reported by EurovisionWorld.
- The Netherlands also missed the 2026 contest, alongside Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia, per Al Jazeera.
What we don't know yet
- Whether any Dutch broadcaster will revisit the position for 2028.
- The EBU's final list of participating countries for 2027 — other broadcasters' decisions are still being announced.
Why it matters
Eurovision's claim to be a non-political contest is being tested country by country. The Netherlands is a founding-era participant and a five-time winner; a second straight absence, decided first by its usual broadcaster and then by the national umbrella body, shows the boycott question is now an organisational one inside public broadcasting, not only a protest outside it.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
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Story published as a confirmed brief, based on NPO's own statement reported by Al Jazeera/AFP and EurovisionWorld.