Burgas to Host Eurovision 2027 in Bulgaria for the First Time

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Bulgaria's national broadcaster BNT announced that the city of Burgas will host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, marking the first time Bulgaria will hold the event. The semi-finals are scheduled for May 11 and May 13, with the grand final on May 15, coinciding with Israel's Independence Day eve. The contest will take place at Arena Burgas, a newly opened venue in 2023 with a capacity of 12,000 spectators, designed for major international events. Details about the Eurovision Village and EuroClub locations will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Burgas was selected over the capital Sofia, which had long been considered the favorite. The decision was made by a special BNT committee based on criteria including venue suitability, accessibility for visitors and delegations, transport infrastructure, accommodation availability, and overall organizational capacity. The choice continues a humorous tradition started by Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai, who annually tries and fails to predict the host city.

In the recent Eurovision contest held in Vienna, Bulgaria finished first with the song "Bangaranga" performed by Dara, while Israel placed second with "Michelle" by Noam Batan. Additionally, the EBU announced new rule changes for Eurovision, effective from the upcoming contest, stating that a winning country engaged in military conflict, geopolitical tension, or under security threat will not be permitted to host the event; an alternative country will be chosen instead.

Last month, Israeli broadcasters Kan and Keshet 12 confirmed their continued collaboration to select Israel's 2027 Eurovision representative through the show "The Next Star for Eurovision," produced by Keshet 12 and Teddy Productions, set to air this fall. Since 2015, except for 2022 and 2023, Israel's Eurovision entrants have been chosen via this program.