RTÉ has confirmed that Ireland will continue its boycott of Eurovision in 2027, refusing to participate in or broadcast the contest. The organisation took a similar stance in 2026, due to Israel’s ongoing participation in the event.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 17, RTÉ shared that its “position regarding participation in the Eurovision Song Contest remains unchanged”.
“RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk. RTÉ also remains deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory,” the statement reads.
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Israel’s participation in Eurovision has faced widespread condemnation since the nation launched its genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023 which has killed almost 75,000 Palestinians to date. Activists have been calling on the contest’s organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to expel Israel, as they did with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
However, the EBU has failed to take action, leading several nations, including Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain to withdraw from the 2026 event in Vienna. At present, Ireland is the only country to officially announce its boycott of next year’s event. The Netherlands has confirmed that it will be returning to the contest, despite Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS pulling out.
Responding to the news of RTÉ’s withdrawal, Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said that although the EBU regrets that Ireland won’t be participating, they “fully respect their decision”.
“They remain a valued part of our family and will be missed,” he shared, adding that the EBU “will remain in dialogue with RTÉ and hope to welcome them back” in the future.
Meanwhile, activists have praised the broadcaster’s decision. The Ireland Palestine Solidarity campaign shared, “Well done to RTÉ for maintaining its principled stand in not participating in or broadcasting Eurovision 2027 due to apartheid Israel’s participation. It took a lot of work to get to this position last year and well done to all who campaigned for years for that outcome.”
The group added that “Israel should be expelled from all international competitions” and reapplied pressure to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to cancel upcoming Nations League games against the state.
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Author: Gavin Boyd
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