Burgas will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, because apparently the EBU has decided that Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast needs several thousand fans in sequins, a number of competing delegations and a collective shortage of hotel rooms. The contest will take place at Arena Burgas on 11, 13 and 15 May, with the Grand Final on Saturday 15 May.
Burgas gets the gig
After what felt like approximately six years of speculation, leaks, counter-leaks and people squinting at broadcaster websites for accidental metadata, BNT and the EBU have confirmed that Burgas has beaten Sofia to the honour of hosting the 71st Eurovision Song Contest.
The seaside city will become the first Bulgarian host city in Eurovision history. It is also, crucially, somewhere that will look very nice in drone shots between postcards, which is presumably worth at least 14 points from the organising committee.
Burgas emerged from a shortlist that also included Sofia, while Plovdiv and Varna departed the process earlier—possibly to spend more time with their venue plans.
Arena Burgas: big enough, apparently
The shows will be held in Arena Burgas, one of Bulgaria’s newest indoor venues. It holds up to around 15,000 people for concerts, which gives the production team a reasonable amount of room for a massive LED wall, an unnecessarily complicated green room and whichever pyrotechnics supplier wins the tender.
Opened in 2022/23, depending on precisely which opening you choose to count, the arena has already hosted sports events, concerts and other large productions. It is near the city centre, which should make the usual Eurovision pilgrimage between arena, press centre, EuroClub and the nearest late-night food outlet marginally less painful.
Put these in your diary
- Semi-Final One — Tuesday 11 May 2027
- Semi-Final Two — Thursday 13 May 2027
- Grand Final — Saturday 15 May 2027
All three shows are scheduled for 21:00 CEST as usual, so British viewers can once again start arranging their annual argument about whether 8pm is too early to open the prosecco. (It isn’t)
Bulgaria’s moment
Bulgaria earned hosting duties after DARA won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna with Bangaranga, giving the country its first victory and BNT the rather substantial task of putting on the following year’s contest.
So: Burgas, the Black Sea, a brand-new arena and a nation preparing to discover exactly how many people can fit into one Eurovision accreditation queue. It has all the ingredients for a memorable May—and, with any luck, a decent air-conditioning system.
