Ireland to Sit Out Eurovision 2027 as RTÉ Confirms Withdrawal

Ireland will miss the Eurovision Song Contest for a second year in a row in 2027.

National broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed it will neither enter an act nor broadcast the contest, according to Deadline. No Irish entry will compete. No RTÉ coverage will air.

RTÉ said participation in 2027 could not be justified given the ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there. It said it remains deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access for international journalists to Gaza.

Ireland is the second nation to withdraw from the 2027 edition after Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS pulled out. The dispute continues.

RTÉ first tied its position to Gaza in September 2025, when it said Ireland would not take part in the 2026 contest if Israel was allowed to compete because of the conflict in Gaza. Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands then threatened a boycott in early December 2025, citing concern over the Palestinian death toll in Gaza, Reuters reported.

Later in December 2025, European broadcasters voted indirectly to allow Israel's broadcaster Kan to participate. Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia then sat out the 2026 contest after that decision, the BBC reported.

Israel finished second in the 2026 contest. Bulgaria won.

RTÉ had already withdrawn from the 2026 contest and confirmed it was not paying the participation fee, according to RTÉ. Broadcasters that skipped the 2026 final filled the slot with alternative programmes, including Father Ted, Raphael concerts and Gaza documentaries, Reuters reported.

For viewers in Ireland, this means no Irish act and no RTÉ broadcast for a second straight year.

The final of the 2027 contest is scheduled for 15 May at Arena Burgas in Burgas, Bulgaria, a coastal city on the Black Sea. Contest director Martin Green said the organisers regret RTÉ will not take part but fully respect its decision.