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The song contest Europe takes seriously, including the Netherlands — which is currently not attending
Part of: Dutch Culture
Eurovision is the annual international song contest organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), in which member broadcasters each submit one act and vote for each other's entries. It has run since 1956 and is one of the most watched non-sporting television events in the world.
Despite the name, non-European countries participate — including Israel, Australia, and historically others — because membership is based on the EBU's broadcasting footprint, not geography.
The Netherlands has a long Eurovision history. It won five times, including the very first contest in 1956 (Lugano) and most recently in 2019 with Duncan Laurence, whose song Arcade went on to become one of the most streamed Eurovision entries ever.
The Netherlands is not participating in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS withdrew after the EBU declined to hold a membership vote on whether Israel should be allowed to participate.
AVROTROS cited Israel's "proven interference" in the previous contest's results — a reference to a New York Times investigation that described a coordinated voting campaign by the Netanyahu government — and said that Israeli participation "cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation."
Four other countries made the same decision: Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and Iceland. A total of five countries boycotted Eurovision 2026 over Israel's participation.
Israel has competed in Eurovision since 1973 and has won four times. The debate over its continued participation intensified after 7 October 2023 and the war in Gaza. Critics argue that allowing Israel to compete is inconsistent with the EBU's suspension of Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine; the EBU has maintained that the two situations are not comparable under its rules.
Eurovision is genuinely popular here — not ironically, in the way some countries treat it, but as a cultural event people watch and care about. AVROTROS is a major public broadcaster; its boycott decision was contested domestically, with some critics arguing the Netherlands was punishing itself by opting out. The broader debate mirrors the antisemitism and Jewish security tensions in Dutch society: where exactly the line falls between political protest, cultural boycott, and discrimination is fiercely disputed.
These guides are written to help you understand the Netherlands — not to replace professional advice. We do our best to be accurate but we make mistakes and information goes out of date. For anything that affects your legal status, taxes, finances, or health, verify with an official source or a qualified advisor.