Belgium has confirmed their intention to participate in the 2027 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, due to be held in Bulgaria in May.
Belgium confirms participation
Flemish broadcaster VRT has been a vocal critic of Israel’s participation in the Contest, saying on the night of the 2026 Grand Final that it would not participate if Israel would win the competition. Since then, the broadcaster had signalled it could still withdraw from the competition due to the ongoing controversy.
However, today, VRT confirmed it would be taking part in the upcoming edition of the Contest, with a statement from the broadcaster saying it was giving the EBU the chance to restore the competition to its basic principles of peace and unity.
VRT confirmed that it had noticed “significant steps” to address concerns regarding the future of the competition as well as rules on voting and sponsorship, as well as the general organisation of the show. VRT, as a result, has said that enough changes have been made – together with the return of the Netherlands – that it can participate at next year’s competition.
In his own statement, Frederik Delaplace, CEO of VRT said:
“The Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in a world facing war, geopolitical tensions, and societal polarization. VRT therefore understands the widely divergent opinions and emotions regarding participation in the Song Contest. Furthermore, participation is in no way an endorsement or normalization of what is happening in Gaza and the rest of the world.
We do note, however, that the EBU is no longer shying away from these difficult societal and geopolitical issues. That is why VRT wants to continue supporting the search for a restoration of what the Song Contest stands for, because the exercise is not yet finished. But striving for connection also means: not running away from the debate, but staying in dialogue with one another.
In this way, we believe that the Song Contest will soon be able to mean something again to all those who are suffering from war and violence today.”
Information on how the Belgian act will be chosen for next year’s competition will be revealed in due course.
Belgium’s Eurovision journey
Belgium was one of the debutant countries at the beginning of the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1956. For the first edition, countries could submit two songs, and for Belgium that year, ‘Messieurs les noyès de la Seine’ by Fud Leclerc and ‘Le plus beau jour de ma vie’ by Mony Marc represented the nation. To this day we do not know the final results of Eurovision 1956. Belgium have taken part in 64 Eurovision Song Contests; however, they have only ever won once: in 1986 with Sandra Kim and the song ‘J’amie la vie’, scoring 176 points.
Belgium chose ESSYLA to represent the nation with “Dancing on the Ice” in 2026. Competing in the first semi-final, Belgium qualified for the final, placing 21st and earning a total of 36 points, all of which came from the professional jury.
What do you think of Belgium confirming their participation? Who would you like to see participate at Eurovision for Belgium in 2027? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, Bluesky, and ZOOP for more information about Eurovision 2027!
News Source: VRT
Image Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
Rory Gannon 
Molly Kirkpatrick