Ireland's national broadcaster RTE has confirmed it will sit out the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, refusing to send an act or air the show in protest at Israel's participation, which it cites alongside the "appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza".
It means Ireland misses the contest for a second year running. The country was one of five to skip the 2026 edition, alongside the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia and Spain, all objecting to Israel taking part while the conflict in Gaza continues.
The Netherlands has already committed to staying away next year too. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced its 2027 boycott last month, arguing that Eurovision "can no longer be considered neutral" while a participating country is involved in a large-scale military conflict, and describing the event as having become a "platform for division".
The contest itself goes ahead regardless. The 2027 edition is scheduled for May in Burgas, the Black Sea resort city that won hosting rights for Bulgaria. Expect the usual May logistics: thousands of fans from across Europe descending on a coastal city, hotel demand spiking, and flights filling up around the semi-finals and grand final.
For travellers, the storyline matters in a practical way. Eurovision week is one of the biggest predictable tourism events on the European calendar, and host cities routinely sell out accommodation months ahead. Burgas is a lesser-known host compared with recent venues like Liverpool, Malmö or Basel, which could mean more available rooms and cheaper stays than in recent years, especially if high-profile withdrawals dampen demand from usual fan markets such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain.
It also raises questions about the event's scale and atmosphere. If several of Europe's biggest fan bases stay home in protest, the week-long party around the contest could feel thinner than in peak years. On the flip side, a host city that isn't a capital or mega-resort often delivers a more local, less corporate experience, and Bulgaria's Black Sea coast in May is pleasantly warm before the summer crowds arrive.
Anyone eyeing a Eurovision trip to Burgas should watch for ticket release announcements from the European Broadcasting Union, book accommodation early anyway given the city's modest hotel stock, and consider pairing the contest with time in nearby Sozopol or the UNESCO-listed old town of Nessebar, both an easy bus ride up the coast.
Whether more broadcasters follow Ireland and the Netherlands out the door remains to be seen, and that uncertainty is worth factoring in if you're planning around the event. But the show itself is locked in for May 2027 on the Bulgarian coast.
Story reported by Daily Sabah Travel.