Irish broadcaster RTE withdraws from Eurovision 2027

The Irish public broadcaster RTE announced that in 2027 it will not send its representative to the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Bulgaria. The reason is the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The station also decided not to broadcast the popular competition.

The official statement stressed that "RTE believes that, given the horrific and ongoing loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis that continues to threaten so many civilians, Irish participation cannot be justified." The broadcaster also expressed deep concern about restricting access to the Gaza Strip for journalists from around the world.

This is not the first such decision by RTE. Irish television had already taken a similar step a year earlier, when the organizer of Eurovision - the European Broadcasting Union - confirmed the participation of the Israeli representative in the competition. In August this year, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS also joined the boycott.

Eurovision is one of the most popular music competitions in the world, broadcast by public television throughout Europe since 1956. The results are decided by the votes of the jurors and viewers. The last competition was won by the representative of Bulgaria.