Burgas, Bulgaria’s fourth-largest city, will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, organisers announced Thursday, marking the first time the competition comes to Bulgaria.

The European Broadcasting Union and Bulgarian National Television selected the Black Sea resort city over the capital, Sofia, after a months-long bidding process that also included Plovdiv and Varna. Plovdiv and Varna were eliminated in the first round of assessment, leaving Burgas and Sofia to compete for the final decision.

The 71st edition of the contest will run over three live shows: semifinals on Tuesday, May 11, and Thursday, May 13, and the grand final on Saturday, May 15, 2027. All three will be held at Arena Burgas, a 15,000-seat venue that opened in 2023.

Bulgaria earned the right to host after singer DARA won the 2026 contest in Vienna with “Bangaranga,” the country’s first Eurovision victory. That win came in a contest overshadowed by five countries’ boycott over Israel’s participation amid its military offensive in Gaza.

Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said Burgas stood out among the bids.

It is a vibrant, welcoming city on the Black Sea with a strong musicial and cultural identity, and it has the ambition, infrastructure and passion needed to welcome the Eurovision family. – Martin Green

Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov, who pushed for the city’s bid soon after Bulgaria’s win in Vienna, called the selection an honour for the region.

“This is not about one city hosting Eurovision,” Nikolov said. “This is Bulgaria hosting Eurovision – an entire community, united and inspired.”

Organisers said the selection process weighed venue capacity, hotel accommodations, transport links and a mandatory press center for 1,500 journalists. Burgas, home to about 225,000 people, is known for its Black Sea beaches and its Sea Garden waterfront park, along with an international airport that organisers cited as a factor in their decision.

Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna will still take part in Eurovision-related programming leading up to the contest, according to BNT and the EBU, though the main event will centre on Burgas.

Ticket sales for six preview shows, running Sunday, May 10, through the final on May 15, will open to members of Eurofan, the contest’s official fan club, in the coming months. Further details on the Eurovision Village and EuroClub events are expected in the weeks ahead.

The featured image on this post is provided courtesy of the European Broadcasting Union.