BNT postpones the Eurovision 2027 host city reveal following security developments in Bulgaria as Burgas and Sofia compete to host the contest.
Despite the immense anticipation among Eurovision fans for the reveal of the host city for Eurovision 2027 in Bulgaria, followers of the contest will have to wait another day following a further delay to the announcement. This time, the hold-up is unrelated to the selection process itself, which has reportedly been finalized, but is instead due to a major security incident in Bulgaria that requires near-exclusive media coverage on Wednesday, the original scheduled reveal date.
The past week has been packed with dramatic developments surrounding the choice of the host city for Eurovision 2027 in Bulgaria. As widely reported over recent days, the story began with the postponement of the initial announcement date. Subsequent tracking showed Burgas gaining strong momentum in the betting odds, alongside emerging rumors of internal disagreements regarding the final selection. Following official denials, Burgas ultimately surged ahead of Sofia in the odds on Saturday. Now, fans must wait just two more days to discover the final decision everyone has been awaiting since DARA took victory at Eurovision 2026.
Sofia vs Burgas: The Hosting Contenders
Sofia
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is currently the primary candidate to host Eurovision, with strong rumors suggesting it has already secured the bid. During a broadcast on the Bulgarian national broadcaster, a caption unexpectedly appeared reading: “Canada will make its debut in the upcoming contest in Sofia.” The incident immediately sparked curiosity among Eurovision fans, raising questions as to whether it was an early leak of the host city or merely a production error.
Beyond these rumors, the candidacy of Sofia faces a tangible bureaucratic hurdle. Reports in Bulgaria raise concerns that the city might fail to meet contest requirements due to the name of its proposed venue, “Arena 8888” (which previously hosted Junior Eurovision in 2015). In September 2024, the arena’s management signed a sponsorship agreement with the online gambling platform 8888.bg, a partnership that could conflict with EBU regulations. However, previous contests have been held in venues named after sponsors, such as “Pala Alpitour” (Inalpi Arena) in Turin 2022 and “M&S Bank Arena” in Liverpool 2023. Even if issues arise regarding the gambling company, the venue’s name would likely be changed temporarily for the Eurovision period, as occurred in 2011, 2016, and 2018.
In addition to these challenges, Sofia faces a notable shortage of accommodations compared to previous host cities and its fellow contender. This scarcity could drive up prices for traveling fans seeking to attend the contest.
Burgas
Burgas, the bustling summer capital on the shores of the Black Sea, presents a hosting package that is very hard to ignore. First, the city boasts an advanced arena similar in size to the one in Sofia, though slightly smaller. Beyond that, the huge advantage of Burgas lies in its tourism infrastructure. It has an immense abundance of accommodations and hotels, and such a large supply guarantees much more affordable and accessible prices for the thousands of fans and delegations who will flock to the contest.
But the true advantage of Burgas, and what is likely shuffling the cards for the decision-makers, is the atmosphere. Eurovision is ultimately a massive festival of music, culture, and joy. Burgas comes alive at night, offering a rich nightlife scene and the energies of a young and vibrant city. In contrast, the capital Sofia is perceived as a much older, heavier, and even boring city compared to the dizzying pace offered by the coastal city.
Although it initially seemed that Sofia’s inherent advantage as a capital city, with its developed governmental infrastructure, would close the story in advance, the proposal from Burgas is simply better in the parameters that truly matter. The combination of a proper arena, cheap accommodation solutions, and a young party atmosphere that perfectly matches the DNA of Eurovision, is the winning formula. This is exactly why, according to our estimates at EuroMix, Burgas will do the unbelievable and snatch the hosting rights from Sofia at the very last minute.
A Crucial Decision Ahead
The host city selection process officially opened last June after the Bulgarian national broadcaster held a briefing with representatives from the four local municipalities that expressed interest in hosting the contest: Burgas, Plovdiv, Sofia, and Varna. Just over two weeks ago, it was officially confirmed that Sofia and Burgas are the final two cities competing for the hosting rights.
As a public broadcaster and full member of the European Broadcasting Union, BNT plays a leading role in organizing Eurovision 2027 in close partnership with the EBU. The Bulgarian national broadcaster actively secured Bulgaria’s participation in Eurovision 2026 following a three-year absence, leading to a historic victory in Vienna that earned the country the honor of hosting the upcoming edition.
Eurovision 2027 is expected to draw thousands of visitors, international media crews, and millions of television viewers across Europe and beyond, offering a significant opportunity for international visibility and tourism growth for Bulgaria.
“Bangaranga” is the song performed by the singer DARA, which represented Bulgaria in Vienna, Austria. DARA won the contest and got 516 points in the final. The song was written and composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos and Cristian Tarcea. While this is the performer’s first Eurovision entry, it marks the 15th song in the contest for composer Dimitris Kontopoulos. The song is performed entirely in English.
Eurovision 2027: This will be Bulgaria’s 16th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Bulgaria joined the competition in 2005 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2026 when the singer Dara finished in first place with the song “Bangaranga”.
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Maor Heumann has been writing about the Eurovision Song Contest and following it for over three decades. He has attended five contests and has found something to appreciate in almost every possible musical genre — from the sugary pop entries that finish last in the semi-finals to the quirky avant-garde pieces that even the competition’s juries struggled to connect with. He usually prefers original languages and songs with depth over Swedish-produced English clones — though he doesn’t promise to stick to that rule.
He grew up on the kibbutz of Sara’le Sharon, who instilled in him a love for music and created his first connection to the contest back in 1993 — before most of the current editorial team was even born.
