BNT confirmed that Burgas, Plovdiv, Sofia, and Varna submitted official bids to host Eurovision 2027. The final decision is expected this July.

The Bulgarian national broadcaster announced that four Bulgarian cities – Burgas, Plovdiv, Sofia, and Varna – submitted official bids to host Eurovision 2027. The deadline for submitting proposals expired today at 17:00 CET, after which the competition for selecting the host city moved to the next and critical stage – the application evaluation phase. The final decision regarding the city that will win the right to host Europe’s largest music event is expected to be published towards the end of July.

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The General Director of the national broadcaster BNT, Milena Milotinova, wrote in a post on social media:

“Four cities have submitted their applications to host Eurovision in Bulgaria: Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, and Varna. BNT is not simply looking for a venue to stage the biggest music event, but for a partner city that will accompany us throughout the entire journey until May 2027. We have established a working group to evaluate the proposals, which will begin its work on Monday, following the clear criteria and standards set by the EBU. We will keep you informed as the process progresses.”

The host city selection process officially opened last June, after the Bulgarian national broadcaster held a professional information meeting with representatives of the four local authorities that expressed interest in hosting the contest. As a public broadcasting body and a full member of the European Broadcasting Union, BNT plays a leading role in the preparation and organization of Eurovision 2027 in close partnership with the EBU. It is worth noting that the national broadcaster took an active part in securing Bulgaria’s participation in Eurovision 2026, returning to the contest after a three-year absence, and as everyone already knows – the country recorded a historic victory in Vienna that granted it the prestigious right to host the upcoming edition.

Eurovision 2027 is expected to attract thousands of visitors, international media crews, and millions of television viewers from Europe and beyond, which provides a golden opportunity for unparalleled international visibility and tourism and economic promotion for Bulgaria.

Will Sofia Host Eurovision 2027?

Alongside the official announcement regarding the submission of bids, the name of the capital Sofia has generated quite a bit of interest online in recent days. During a BNT broadcast under the title “Eurovision 2027”, a caption suddenly appeared: “Canada will make its debut in the upcoming contest in Sofia”. The incident immediately sparked a wave of speculation among fans – whether this was an early reveal of the host city or simply a meaningless production blunder.

Beyond these rumors, Sofia’s candidacy faces a real bureaucratic challenge: reports in Bulgaria raise concerns that the city might not meet the contest’s threshold conditions due to the name of the arena included in its bid, “Arena 8888” (which previously hosted the Junior Eurovision in 2015). In September 2024, the arena’s management signed a sponsorship agreement with the online betting platform 8888.bg, a sponsorship that might conflict with EBU regulations.

However, contests have previously been held in arenas named after sponsors, such as “Inalpi Arena” in Turin 2022 and “M&S Bank” in Liverpool 2023. Even if a difficulty arises regarding the betting company, it is highly likely that the arena’s name will be temporarily changed for the Eurovision period, as happened in the 2011, 2016, and 2018 Eurovisions. The final answer, as mentioned, will be received in the official announcement in the coming weeks.

On behalf of the Mayor of Sofia, Vasil Terziev, the following was stated regarding the capital’s hosting bid:

“I hold every city and my fellow mayors in high regard. I am convinced that any of the candidates would handle this responsibility with distinction. Sofia is ready to host the Eurovision Song Contest”.

Eurovision 2027 will take place for the first time in its history in Bulgaria, following the country’s victory in Eurovision 2026 with the song “Bangaranga” performed by the singer Dara.