The Azerbaijani national broadcaster iTV has confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria, following recent struggles and fan petitions.
The Azerbaijani national broadcaster iTV has confirmed Azerbaijan’s participation in Eurovision 2027, which will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria. Azerbaijan is the 31st country to confirm its participation in the coveted contest. Among the countries that have already confirmed their participation are Bulgaria (the host country), Canada (which will participate for the first time), Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
According to an initial report by the Greek website eurovision.fun, Azerbaijan officially confirms its participation in the coveted contest. At the moment, it has not yet been announced how Azerbaijan will select its next representative for the competition. It remains to be seen whether Azerbaijan will continue with its usual method – an internal selection – or diversify and opt for a transparent national selection open to the general public.
After the Failure: Demands for Clarity in Azerbaijan
As previously reported, shortly after the Eurovision 2026 final, the public in Azerbaijan launched petitions demanding that the country’s representative selection process be conducted with full transparency and fairness. The petition stated:
“Despite Azerbaijan’s great success in the history of Eurovision, the results in recent years have been disappointing. Our failure to reach the final in the last four years and our consecutive last place finishes in the past two years both discourage the fans and damage our country’s musical reputation in Europe.”
The authors of the petition added:
“We believe the main problems are a lack of transparency and a lack of public participation in our Eurovision representative selection process. The current activities of the public broadcaster and the Azerbaijani delegation lead to communication deficiencies with fan communities, the media, and independent Eurovision platforms, negative responses to constructive criticism, poor communication, and the failure of the selected participants to demonstrate their full potential.”
The Demands of the Petition Initiators
- Democratic process: Conducting a transparent and democratic selection process that will allow talented artists to take the opportunity to represent their country.
- Holding a national selection: Implementing a national selection system, not necessarily in the traditional and common format; the main point is to have active public participation in choosing the representative.
- Investigating the national broadcaster’s conduct: Examining the activities of the current team and, if necessary, replacing them with a team that will operate more democratically and fairly.
- Open communication with the audience: The national broadcaster must maintain open communication with the country’s citizens and be willing to accept criticism and feedback.
At the end of the petition, it was stated:
“It is time for a change! By signing the petition, you can contribute to a transparent and fair change that will return Azerbaijan to Eurovision success. Let’s march together towards a bright and successful future for our country in the competition!”
From the Contest’s Greatest Powerhouse to a Painful Crash
Click on the song title to listen!
When examining Azerbaijan’s history of achievements in Eurovision, it is hard to believe it is the same country. Since its impressive debut in 2008 – finishing in 8th place with the song “Day After Day“- the country quickly established itself as an undisputed Eurovision empire. Azerbaijan recorded an extraordinary and crazy streak of five consecutive years inside the top five of the Grand Final: 3rd place in 2009 with “Always“, 5th place in 2010 with “Drip Drop“, a historic and unexpected victory in 2011 with “Running Scared“, 4th place in Baku in 2012 with the song “When The Music Dies“, and 2nd place in 2013 with the song “Hold Me“. In those years, the Azerbaijani national broadcaster invested huge budgets, hired the best Swedish producers and writers, and achieved particularly impressive results in the grand competition.
However, several years later, the reality is completely different – a total and unprecedented crash. After a first non-qualification in 2018 with “X My Heart“, Azerbaijan slowly deteriorated significantly, and since 2023 it has experienced a particularly painful and disappointing streak of four consecutive non-qualifications for the final. The negative streak reached a new peak in the last two years, when the country reached last place in the semi-final for the first time in its history – two years in a row! It happened in 2025 with “Run With U“, and once again in the last Eurovision, where the representative Jiva finished in last place with her song “Just Go” with only 2 points. From a massive powerhouse that no one could stop, Azerbaijan officially became one of the weakest countries on the modern Eurovision map.
Watch the following video to see the extreme change in Azerbaijan’s achievements in Eurovision:
Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2026
“Just Go” is the song that performed by the singer JIVA, who represented Azerbaijan as song number 2 in the second semi-final on May 14th, in Vienna, Austria. The song reached 15th in the semi-final with 2 points.
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A writer and content creator in the field of Eurovision, a commentator with extensive expertise in the modern era of the contest. Adiel’s vast knowledge and familiarity with Eurovision are reflected in every article, ensuring professional and up-to-date content. He closely follows song releases and various Eurovision pre-events. Adiel has a fondness for cultures and new languages, which he discovered through his love of Eurovision. In his writing, he places great emphasis on professional commentary and a diversity of opinions.
