Netherlands will return to Eurovision 2027 after boycotting 2026 contest
The Netherlands will return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, ending a one-year absence from the competition.
Dutch public broadcasting organisation NPO has confirmed the country will compete in Burgas next May, while broadcaster NOS will provide the Eurovision television coverage.
The announcement brings the Netherlands back into the Contest after it sat out Eurovision 2026.
The decision has come from a major change behind the scenes.
For many years, Dutch participation in Eurovision has been handled by AVROTROS, one of several public broadcasters that sit under the wider NPO system.
AVROTROS withdrew from Eurovision 2026 and later confirmed it would not return for 2027.
It has not changed that decision.
A new Eurovision setup for the Netherlands
The Dutch public broadcasting system is different to what Eurovision fans in countries such as Australia or the UK may be used to.
Rather than having one public broadcaster responsible for everything, several broadcasters operate under the NPO umbrella.
AVROTROS has traditionally been the broadcaster responsible for Eurovision, including selecting the Dutch act and running the delegation.
With AVROTROS stepping away, NPO has chosen to take responsibility for the country’s participation itself.
A new independent team will be established to select and support the Dutch entry for 2027..
NOS, another broadcaster within the NPO system, will be responsible for the television coverage of Eurovision, including the semi-finals, Grand Final and commentary.
NOS was also involved in broadcasting Eurovision 2026 in the Netherlands despite AVROTROS’s withdrawal.
The arrangement means the Netherlands can return to Eurovision without AVROTROS reversing its position.
Why did AVROTROS withdraw?
AVROTROS announced it would not participate in Eurovision 2026 following concerns about the direction of the Contest and Israel’s continued participation.
It later confirmed it would also not take responsibility for a Dutch entry in 2027.
After that decision, AVROTROS returned responsibility for Eurovision to NPO.
NPO then entered discussions with the European Broadcasting Union about whether and how the Netherlands could return.
NPO chair Jet de Ranitz said the organisation recognised there would be mixed feelings about the decision.
“We understand that taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest gives rise to mixed feelings in the Netherlands,” Jet said.
“We have explicitly asked the EBU to make the unifying character of the contest a central part of the event once again.”
Before adding:
"We are seeking that connection again now, by taking account of what is happening in the world and by making room for a conversation about it. To help shape and carry forward that direction, we as Dutch public broadcasting want to be part of the Eurovision Song Contest again. That way we can truly live up to ‘United by Music’ together.
"The Contest was founded in 1956 to bring together European countries after the war. And we must conclude that we are experiencing such difficult times again, and this is why we want the Contest to find back this atmosphere."
AVROTROS has meanwhile made clear its own position has not changed, saying it had already made a “careful ethical assessment based on our own norms and values” when deciding to leave the Contest.
EBU welcomes the Netherlands back
Eurovision Director Martin Green welcomed the Dutch return.
“We are delighted to welcome the Netherlands back to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027,” Martin said.
"We value the constructive conversations we have had with NPO and look forward to working together to reinforce the Contest as a place that truly reflects the spirit of ‘United by Music’.
"The Netherlands took part in the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Its founding purpose then remains as relevant today as ever. In a world that is increasingly divided, the Eurovision Song Contest provides a unique space for people and countries to come together through music, share in a common experience and find connection.
"With that in mind, we are very happy that the Netherlands is once again joining the Eurovision family on stage in Burgas next May."
The Netherlands was one of the seven countries to compete in the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956.
It has won Eurovision five times, most recently with Duncan Laurence and Arcade in 2019.
The Dutch artist and song for Eurovision 2027 will be announced at a later date.
Eurovision 2027 will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria, with the semi-finals on May 11 and 13 and the Grand Final on May 15.
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