RTE revealed that it will not submit an application to the contest, which will take place in Bulgaria in 2027, and will not broadcast the event, due to the "continued and terrible loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis that continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."

Netherlands boycott

At the end of August, the Netherlands announced that it would also maintain its refusal to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, citing what it considers a lack of neutrality in the contest and Israel's participation.

"[The Dutch public broadcaster] AVROTROS will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 because the event can no longer be considered neutral, with one participating country still involved in a large-scale military conflict," the statement said.

Israel's participation

Israel's participation in the contest this year was once again the target of controversy and calls for its exclusion, leading five countries - Spain (one of the members of the 'Big 5' group, those that contribute the most financially to the production of the show), Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland - to boycott the contest.

The boycotts were due to Israeli military attacks on the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip, which have killed at least 73,000 people since October 2023 and have been classified as genocide by an independent international commission of inquiry of the United Nations.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced in August that the Bulgarian city of Burgas, on the Black Sea, was chosen to host the 71st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, on May 11, 13 and 15, 2027.

The announcement of the city chosen for the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest comes a day after the EBU announced changes to the regulations, including the possibility of the winning country being prevented from organising it if it is in "armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation or other circumstances that materially affect the security or stability" of the local area or the surrounding region.

The contest has been held annually since 1956, and there have been countries excluded, such as Belarus in 2021, after the re-election of President Aleksandr Lukashenko, and Russia in 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine.