Bulgaria's Burgas city will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, organizers announced on Thursday. Burgas is a port city on the Black Sea coast. This will be the first time the contest is held in Bulgaria, which scored its first-ever victory in May when Bulgarian singer Dara beat 24 other competitors with her song "Bangaranga."
Bulgaria's public broadcaster BNT and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced the venue on Thursday. The two semifinals will take place on May 11 and 13, 2027, and the final on May 15. Bulgaria's capital Sofia had also applied to host the event.
Eurovision director Martin Green said: "Burgas will bring something truly special to Eurovision." He added: "It is a dynamic and welcoming city on the Black Sea coast with a strong musical and cultural identity, which possesses the ambition, infrastructure, and passion needed to welcome the big Eurovision family."
BNT head Milena Milotinova told a press conference that together with the EBU and Burgas, they will work intensively to organize a contest that will live up to the expectations of millions of viewers worldwide. Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov said hosting the contest is a great honor for the city.
On Wednesday, Eurovision organizers introduced new rules barring countries affected by armed conflict or other security risks from hosting the contest. Under the new rules, the winning broadcaster will be ineligible to host if an armed conflict, sensitive geopolitical situation, or other circumstances threaten the security, safety, or stability of the country or surrounding region.
In recent years, the contest has faced security concerns. Tensions arose over Israel's participation amid its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere. Five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia — boycotted in protest.
The new rules also raised the minimum age for competitors from 16 to 18. Organizers say the change aims to protect younger artists from the pressures associated with competing.