Eurovision 2027 to be held in Burgas, Bulgaria

The Eurovision Song Contest 2027 will be held in Burgas, a Black Sea port city in Bulgaria, from 12 to 15 May, organizers confirmed. It is the first time the contest takes place in Bulgaria, following Bulgarian singer Dara's victory in Vienna in May with her song "Bangaranga" Source: BBC, AP News.

Venue and dates

The event will be staged at Arena Burgas, the country's newest sports and entertainment venue, opened in 2023 Source: BBC. The two semi-finals are scheduled for May 11 and 13, with the final on May 15 Source: AP News. Bulgaria's capital Sofia also applied to host, but Burgas was chosen Source: AP News.

Reaction

Eurovision director Martin Green said Burgas would "bring something truly special to Eurovision," praising its musical and cultural identity Source: AP News. BNT head Milena Milotinova pledged intensive joint work to meet high expectations Source: AP News. Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov called hosting a major honor Source: AP News.

New rules

On Wednesday, organizers introduced rules barring countries affected by armed conflict or security risks from hosting, and raised the minimum age for competitors from 16 to 18 Source: AP News. These changes follow security concerns over Israel's participation and boycotts by five countries Source: AP News.