The city of Burgas, Bulgaria, has been chosen to host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest, organisers announced on Thursday, with the final set for 15 May 2027 and semi-finals on 11 and 13 May. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Bulgarian National Television (BNT) made the announcement jointly, marking the first time Bulgaria will host the competition.
Burgas selected to host 71st Eurovision Song Contest in May 2027
The city of Burgas, Bulgaria, has been chosen to host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest, organisers announced on Thursday, with the final set for 15 May 2027 and semi-finals on 11 and 13 May. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Bulgarian National Television (BNT) made the announcement jointly, marking the first time Bulgaria will host the competition.
Bulgaria earned the right to host after singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won the 2026 contest in Vienna with the song Bangaranga, according to ABC News Australia. It was Bulgaria's first-ever Eurovision victory; the country had debuted in the contest in 2005 and had missed the previous three editions for financial reasons, according to the same source.
Burgas was selected over the Bulgarian capital Sofia following what BNT general director Milena Milotinova described at a press conference as a 'complex' evaluation 'covering all EBU requirements', according to ABC News Australia.
The contest will be held at Arena Burgas, a multifunctional venue with 5,500 seats that can accommodate up to 15,000 people, according to ABC News Australia. Burgas is the second-largest city on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, with a population of approximately 190,000, and is described as an important commercial port and gateway to coastal tourist resorts including Sunny Beach.
Burgas mayor Dimitar Nikolov said it was 'an honour and a privilege' to be chosen, adding: 'Thank you for the unique chance to present Burgas, the region, and the beauty of Bulgaria. We will give it our all to perform at a high level and be remembered as a successful host,' according to ABC News Australia.
ABC News Australia reports that Eurovision organisers have announced a policy excluding any country engaged in an armed conflict from hosting the competition, and have also raised the minimum age of competitors. No country was mentioned by name in that announcement, though the report notes Israel has been at war in Gaza since 2023 and finished second at both the 2025 and 2026 contests.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Israel is set to participate in the 2027 contest after Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green stated in a July interview with Variety that there would be no further EBU votes on whether to exclude Israel from the competition.
ABC News Australia reports that the 2026 contest attracted 131 million viewers, down 35 million from the previous year, after five countries — the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia — boycotted it over Israel's participation, with the latter three declining to broadcast the show at all.
- The specific criteria or scoring used in the 'complex' evaluation that led to Burgas being chosen over Sofia are not detailed in any source.
- The expected budget or cost of hosting the 2027 contest in Burgas is not established.
- Details of the new minimum age requirement for competitors are not provided in any source.
- The precise wording or scope of the new rule excluding countries in armed conflicts from hosting is not set out beyond the general description.
- No response from the five countries that boycotted the 2026 contest regarding the 2027 edition is included in any source.
- No comment from Israel or Israeli broadcasters regarding the 2027 contest or the hosting rules appears in any source beyond the statement by Martin Green.
- ABC News Australia — original
- The Jerusalem Post — by HANNAH BROWN
Read the original at ABC News Australia