The NPO has said it respects AVROTROS’s decision not to take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, but described the move as “very regrettable”, a spokesperson told ANP on Monday.
“We also see that geopolitical tensions are having a divisive effect,” the NPO said. “That is why this has not been an easy decision for our colleagues.”
It remains unclear whether the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast in the Netherlands. The NPO declined to say whether it may ask another broadcaster to take responsibility for the Dutch entry.
“We are going to reflect on the upcoming edition,” the NPO said.
Geopolitical tensions
AVROTROS announced on Monday that it will once again not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. According to the broadcaster, the event is “no longer neutral”, and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are having too great an impact on the festival. AVROTROS has therefore returned responsibility for Dutch participation to the NPO.
AVROTROS General Director Taco Zimmerman said the Eurovision Song Contest has become a “stage of division”. He noted that the event was created to bring people and countries together.
“But you cannot deny that an international conflict is increasingly permeating the event, causing it to lose its neutral character,” Zimmerman said.
‘Painful’
“As a public broadcaster, we remain true to our values,” he continued. “They guide us, even if it means letting go of an event that is close to our hearts. That is painful, because we would have loved to be there again next year.”
Cornald Maas also expressed regret that AVROTROS will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027.
“This makes the song contest an even bigger stage of division,” the former Eurovision commentator told ANP. Maas added that “music and culture actually unite”.
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