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Dutch to resume Eurovision with new broadcaster
NPO said an independent team will select the Dutch act, while NOS will handle coverage after five countries boycotted the 2026 contest.
The Netherlands will return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 after withdrawing this year, with Dutch public broadcaster NPO taking over participation from AVROTROS.
Broadcaster AVROTROS withdrew from this year's contest, stating the event could "no longer be considered neutral" given divisions over the Gaza war; the Netherlands joined four other countries in boycotting.
The European Broadcasting Union has changed its rules to ban winning countries from hosting during sensitive geopolitical situations, while NPO said it had "explicitly asked the EBU to once again make the unifying character of the festival an important part of the event."
An independent team of experts will oversee the Dutch participation in the contest on May 15 in Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Burgas, hosting for the first time after singer Dara won this year in Vienna.
Since its 1955 launch, Eurovision has built legendary careers including ABBA and Celine Dion, though the 2026 competition drew 131 million viewers, down 35 million after boycotts; the Netherlands has won five contests.
After a year's absence, the Netherlands wants to be part of the Eurovision Song Contest again in 2027. Public service broadcasting takes over from the previous broadcaster. A new boycott due to Israel's participation is thus off the table.
The Netherlands will, however, take part in next year's Eurovision Song Contest: the country's public broadcaster announced on Wednesday that it would take over the organisation of the participation from another broadcaster who had withdrawn due to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.