Netherlands reverses Eurovision 2027 decision and withdraws from contest
The Netherlands will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 after all, with Dutch public broadcasting organisation NPO reversing its decision to return to the competition.
The surprise announcement comes just over a month after NPO confirmed the Netherlands would compete in Burgas in 2027, despite regular Eurovision broadcaster AVROTROS deciding not to return.
NPO says there is now insufficient support among Dutch broadcasters to facilitate the country's participation in next year's contest.
In a statement on Tuesday, NPO said it had decided to stop preparations for the 2027 contest following further consultation with Dutch broadcasters. Jet de Ranitz, Chair of the Executive Board of NPO, acknowledged the latest decision would disappoint Dutch Eurovision fans. She said the organisation had spoken with broadcasters to determine whether one was willing to facilitate the participation of a Dutch artist.
"In those discussions, we initially felt there was sufficient support to return. Unfortunately, we were unable to find a suitable format for this."
De Ranitz said this meant it was currently "too early" for the Netherlands to return to Eurovision, adding that the broadcaster had decided to "take a step back" because of the sensitivities surrounding the issues currently affecting the Contest.
The decision is the latest twist in what has been a turbulent period for the Netherlands at Eurovision.
AVROTROS, which had been responsible for the Dutch Eurovision entry since 2014, withdrew from the 2026 contest following the European Broadcasting Union's decision to allow Israel to participate.
The broadcaster later announced it would also not return in 2027, citing continuing geopolitical tensions and saying changes introduced by the EBU had not provided sufficient confidence that Eurovision's independent and neutral character had been restored.
However, responsibility for Dutch participation was subsequently returned to NPO. On 23 September, NPO announced that the Netherlands would return for Eurovision 2027, saying an independent team of experts would be responsible for selecting and supporting the country's entrant.
At the time, NPO said discussions with the EBU had resulted in important steps being taken regarding the contest's rules and its focus on Eurovision's unifying role. Just over a month later, that return has now been abandoned.
Despite withdrawing from the competition, Dutch viewers will still be able to watch Eurovision 2027.
NOS will broadcast the contest on Dutch public television, including Dutch commentary and preview programming. NPO stressed that it still believes Eurovision belongs on public television, describing the contest as one of the world's largest international cultural events centred on music, connection and diversity.
The withdrawal means the Netherlands will now miss Eurovision for a second consecutive year after sitting out the 2026 contest in Vienna.
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