Dutch broadcaster withdraws from Eurovision over neutrality and Gaza divisions
The Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS has said it will not take part in next year's Eurovision Song Contest, arguing that the competition can no longer be considered neutral. The decision comes amid continuing divisions over the war in Gaza and Israel's participation in the event. AVROTROS said the contest has become a platform for division rather than a unifying cultural event.
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In a statement released on Monday, the broadcaster said international conflicts were increasingly affecting the competition and undermining its neutral character. It said there was a lack of clarity from organisers, the European Broadcasting Union, over how countries are assessed for participation. AVROTROS also said recent rule changes announced by organisers did not give enough confidence that the contest's independent and neutral character had been restored.
The broadcaster's director-general, Taco Zimmerman, said the contest was originally created to bring countries and people together, but was now being shaped by international conflict. He said severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza and restrictions on press freedom had contributed to growing divisions around Eurovision in recent years. The broadcaster's withdrawal follows a period in which the contest has faced boycotts linked to Israel's participation.
The issue matters beyond the entertainment industry because Eurovision is one of Europe's most visible cross-border cultural events and a major live television broadcast. The contest has long been presented as politically neutral, even though it has repeatedly been affected by disputes between participating countries. AVROTROS's decision adds to pressure on organisers to explain how they will handle participation by countries involved in armed conflict.
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According to the information provided, organisers earlier this month changed the rules so that if a country involved in an armed conflict wins the competition, it will not be allowed to host the following year. AVROTROS said that change was not enough to restore confidence in the contest's neutrality. The broadcaster also pointed to the wider divisions that have built up around the event in recent years.
The rows supplied say Israel finished second in both 2025 and 2026, and that this year's competition drew 131 million viewers, down from the previous year after five countries boycotted over Israel's participation. The Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all pulled out, with the latter three refusing to broadcast the show at all. The supplied material also says next year's contest is due to be held in Burgas, Bulgaria, after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year's event in Vienna with the song "Bangaranga".
AVROTROS's withdrawal does not necessarily mean the Netherlands will be absent from Eurovision altogether, because another broadcaster in the Dutch public broadcasting system could potentially take part. The European Broadcasting Union said it regretted the decision but respected the broadcaster's views, and said it would continue talks with the Dutch public service media umbrella organisation about possible representation. That leaves open the question of whether another Dutch broadcaster will step in.
What remains unclear is whether the Dutch withdrawal will prompt further changes from organisers or encourage other broadcasters to follow suit. It is also not yet clear how the European Broadcasting Union will respond to the criticism over neutrality and conflict-related participation rules. For now, the dispute adds to the wider debate over how a major international cultural competition should handle war, politics and public pressure.
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