Announcement
AVROTROS, the Dutch broadcaster, announced on Monday that the Netherlands will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Director-general Taco Zimmerman said the event can “no longer be considered neutral” due to the division surrounding the Gaza war.
Reasons
According to Zimmerman, international conflict increasingly influences the contest, undermining its neutral character. Recent boycotts against Israel’s participation have worsened the situation. Organisers had previously announced that any country involved in an armed conflict would be excluded from hosting. The changes now announced, however, do not provide sufficient confidence that independence and neutrality have been restored, AVROTROS said.
Context
Israel came close to winning in both 2025 and 2026, ultimately finishing second on each occasion. AVROTROS’s decision follows a wave of protests and the sense that the festival has become a platform for division.
Reactions
AVROTROS emphasized that the goal of the festival is to celebrate cultural diversity, but that the current situation undermines that goal. No response has yet been issued by the European Union or other participating countries.
Concrete detail
The Dutch broadcaster has not yet announced a definitive withdrawal date, but the announcement was published today on the AVROTROS website.
