Burgas will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, ending months of speculation over where Bulgaria will stage the world’s biggest live music competition.
The announcement was made officially on Thursday, 13 August, during a live broadcast on Bulgarian National Television (BNT). The news brings to an end a host-city selection process that initially involved Sofia, Burgas, Varna and Plovdiv, before the race was narrowed to Sofia and Burgas.
At approximately 11:10 a.m. local time, BNT Director General Milena Milotinova and Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov appeared live on BNT to formalise the decision, signing the agreement for Burgas to host Eurovision 2027.
Burgas wins the race
Milotinova acknowledged that choosing between the final candidates had been a difficult process, with both cities presenting strong proposals.
One of the decisive advantages for Burgas, however, was its modern event infrastructure and, in particular, the city’s new arena — one of the newest major indoor event venues in Bulgaria.
Importantly, Milotinova explained that the final assessment was not simply a decision taken internally by BNT. Experts from the European Broadcasting Union were involved in evaluating the candidate cities and their ability to meet Eurovision’s extensive technical and organisational requirements.
BNT’s original host-city procedure required candidates to demonstrate that they could provide the infrastructure necessary for an event of Eurovision’s scale. The process began after representatives of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas were briefed on the requirements of hosting the contest.
Burgas had publicly pursued the contest from the beginning, with Mayor Dimitar Nikolov formally submitting the city’s candidacy and the Burgas Municipal Council subsequently declaring its support for the bid.
More than just the arena
Hosting Eurovision requires considerably more than providing a venue for three televised shows.
During the announcement, Burgas confirmed that the city will provide the locations and infrastructure required for the wider Eurovision programme, including spaces for the Turquoise Carpet, Eurovision Club and other official events and activities taking place during Eurovision week.
These accompanying events traditionally transform the host city into the centre of Eurovision activity, bringing together participating delegations, artists, accredited media, fans and thousands of international visitors.
For Burgas, that means Eurovision 2027 will extend far beyond the main arena.
The city’s Black Sea setting, public spaces and event infrastructure are expected to play an important role in creating the wider Eurovision experience throughout the contest period.
A historic moment for Burgas
The announcement represents one of the biggest international events ever awarded to the Bulgarian Black Sea city.
Burgas now faces the considerable task of preparing for tens of thousands of Eurovision visitors while coordinating transport, accommodation, security, accreditation, fan activities and official Eurovision events.
For Mayor Dimitar Nikolov and the municipality, today’s signed agreement also marks the successful conclusion of a campaign that began almost immediately after Bulgaria secured the right to organise Eurovision 2027.
Burgas had argued throughout the selection process that its combination of a modern arena, airport connections, tourism infrastructure and experience hosting large-scale events made it capable of delivering the contest.
Now it will have the opportunity to prove it.
Eurovision heads to the Black Sea
With the host city finally confirmed, attention can shift towards the next major pieces of the Eurovision 2027 puzzle.
The coming months are expected to bring further details about the contest dates, official venues, Eurovision Village, EuroClub, Turquoise Carpet, ticketing arrangements and the visual identity of Eurovision 2027.
For fans, delegations and broadcasters who have spent weeks waiting for the decision, however, the most important question has finally been answered.
Eurovision is heading to Burgas.
In 2027, Europe’s biggest music event will take place on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast — opening a new chapter both for Burgas and for Bulgaria’s Eurovision history.