Dutch say won’t participate in neutral Eurovision

THE HAGUE

(AFP photo)

The Netherlands will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, its broadcaster said on Aug. 24, saying the event can “no longer be considered neutral” given divisions over the Gaza war.

“It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character. The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division,” said Taco Zimmerman, Director-General of AVROTROS in a statement from the broadcaster.

The contest has recently been hit by a wave of boycotts over Israel’s participation.

Earlier this month, organizers announced they were excluding any country involved in an armed conflict from hosting the competition.

“However, the recently announced changes... do not provide sufficient confidence that the independent and neutral character of the Eurovision Song Contest has been restored,” said the AVROTROS statement.

Israel came close to winning the competition in both 2025 and 2026, ultimately finishing second on each occasion.

Next year’s event, the world’s biggest live televised music event, will take place on May 15 in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Burgas.

It will be the first time that the Balkan nation hosts the contest, coming after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year’s contest in the Austrian capital Vienna with the catchy floor-filler “Bangaranga.”