the news now

The world's news, cross-checked among reputable sources.

This is a new development in a story we have covered before · earlier coverage

Dutch Broadcaster Avrotros Withdraws from 2027 Eurovision Song Contest

evening · · thread: Eurovision Changes Rules to Bar Countries in Armed Conflict from Hosting

7 sources across 6 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Der Spiegel Germany · Centre-left · ~50% staff-owned
  • Deutsche Welle Germany · Centre · Public · German federal public-law corporation
  • South China Morning Post Hong Kong · Centre-right · Alibaba Group
  • Tempo English Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Tempo Inti Media
  • NRC Netherlands · Centre · Mediahuis
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • BBC News United Kingdom · Centre · Public · Licence fee, royal charter

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

The Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros announced on Monday that it will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest. Director General Taco Zimmerman stated that the event can no longer be considered neutral and has become a platform for division due to international conflicts. The broadcaster specifically cited the war in Gaza, humanitarian suffering, and restrictions on press freedom as factors contributing to this decision.

This withdrawal follows a period of significant political tension. In the most recent competition, the Netherlands was among five countries, including Spain, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia, that boycotted the event in protest of Israel's participation. Israel finished in second place in both 2025 and 2026. The 2027 contest is scheduled to take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, after singer Dara won the previous competition in Vienna, Austria.

In response to recent boycotts, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) introduced new rules barring any country involved in an armed conflict or a sensitive geopolitical situation from hosting the competition, even if they win. Avrotros stated that these changes do not provide sufficient confidence that the independent and neutral character of the contest has been restored. Martin Green, the director of the contest, expressed regret over the decision but maintained that the event remains a place to bring people together.

It remains unclear if the Netherlands will be absent entirely. Because the Netherlands has several public broadcasters, the NPO, the umbrella organization for Dutch public service media, is currently deliberating whether another broadcaster will organize the Dutch entry. The NPO stated it respects the decision of Avrotros while acknowledging that geopolitical tensions have a divisive effect.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
These outlets emphasized the humanitarian suffering in Gaza and the failure of the EBU to restore the contest's neutrality.
Centre
These outlets focused on the factual timeline of the withdrawal and the specific rule changes implemented by the EBU.
Centre-right
This outlet framed the event as a result of a wave of boycotts and highlighted the contest's struggle with political division.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.