Four now becomes two as Burgas and Sofia have been shortlisted to host Eurovision next year in Bulgaria.
Varna and Plovdiv out of the running
Varna and Plovdiv are no longer in the running to host Eurovision 2027 in Bulgaria.
The selection committee reviewed the technical specifications of each proposed venue, assessed its compliance with EBU requirements, and evaluated whether it met Eurovision’s production standards during the first round of the host city selection process.
Martin Green, the Eurovision Song Contest director, thanked the two cities that narrowly missed out on hosting the event :
“Thank you to Plovdiv and Varna for their passion for the Eurovision Song Contest and interest in hosting this event that unites millions of people around the world with the power of music. Such intense competition between cities underscores the significant economic and social benefits of hosting. Both bids demonstrated just how widespread the support for next year’s event is across Bulgaria and we hope both cities will be part of the nationwide celebrations next May.”
Milena Milotinova, Director General of BNT, Bulgaria’s national broadcaster, thanked the teams behind Varna and Plovdiv’s host city applications :
“We would like to emphasize that this decision is based solely on the assessment of the pre-established technical and infrastructure criteria, which were applied equally to all candidates. It does not call into question the undeniable strengths of your cities or their well-established traditions in music, culture, and international festivals. This also creates opportunities for their participation in the programme of accompanying events.“
The decision about which city will host is expected to be announced at the end of July.
The Journey to Eurovision 2027 so far
The journey to the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest kicked off immediately following DARA’s win in Vienna, when Bulgaria’s BNT accepted the rights to host the 71st edition of the contest. Currently, very little is known about the plans for next year’s Contest, but four cities have expressed their interest in hosting Eurovision 2027, and they are Burgas, Plovdiv, Sofia and Varna, with Burgas and Sofia being shortlisted.
As for the organisation of the competition, the Bulgarian government stepped in to create an organising committee, which was revealed at the end of May 2026, with further details about next year’s competition to be revealed in due course.
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photo credits : Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
news source : EBU
Emma Walton 
Thomas James