Ireland won't return to Eurovision until Israel withdraws

Ireland will not compete in Eurovision 2027, the head of the country's public broadcaster confirmed over the weekend.

In an interview on RTÉ's Behind the Story podcast, reported by the Éirevision website, RTÉ director-general Bob Collins said the decision to continue staying away from the contest was made because of the war in Gaza.

"I think it would have been very, very difficult to participate next year, and so we made the decision early, given the ongoing situation in Gaza," Collins said. "I don't think it will be easy to return until there is a very, very significant change on the ground, or until Israel is not in Eurovision."

The statement ties Ireland's participation directly to the security and political situation in the region.

RTÉ was one of five broadcasters that withdrew from Eurovision 2026 in protest of Israel's continued participation. Ahead of the Vienna contest, the European Broadcasting Union said it hoped to continue working with the Irish broadcaster, to discuss the concerns it had raised about the competition and to act on them.

Three countries not returning — two still undecided

Of the five countries that boycotted Eurovision 2026, Iceland, Ireland and the Netherlands have formally announced they will not return for 2027. Slovenia and Spain have not yet decided whether to participate, and the European Broadcasting Union has given broadcasters RTVE in Spain and RTVSLO in Slovenia until December to make a final decision.

Eurovision 2026 stage (Photo: Eurovision official Instagram)

Political parties in Ireland backed RTÉ's decision to boycott the contest, and called for extending the same line to other international events in which Israel participates, including football matches.

Meanwhile, Israel is continuing preparations for the contest in Bulgaria, with the new season of "Rising Star for Eurovision" set to air soon and select Israel's representative. As far as the European Broadcasting Union is concerned, Israel's participation in the contest is a done deal, and there is no discussion or question on the matter.