Eurovision Song Contest 2027 will be the 71st edition of the competition and will take place in the coastal city of Burgas, Bulgaria. The contest comes to the country for the first time in history, following pop star DARA’s achievement of Bulgaria’s first-ever victory last year in Vienna with the hit “Bangaranga.” The events will be held at Arena Burgas venue, when the semi-finals are scheduled for May 11th and 13th, and the Grand Final will take place on May 15th, 2027.

The contest organizers are continuing their reform efforts aimed at refreshing the format, addressing recent challenges, and preserving the event’s non-political nature. The most significant change to the regulations concerns hosting: a winning country facing security instability or a sensitive geopolitical situation will automatically forfeit the right to host the contest. In such an event, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will appoint an alternative broadcaster to assume full responsibility for producing the event entirely independently.

The overhaul of the regulations extends to the performances themselves. To shield young artists from the immense pressure associated with the competition, the minimum participation age has been raised to 18 (up from 16). Additionally, the rules regarding live vocals have been tightened: while pre-recorded backing vocals are permitted, the lead singer is required to perform the main melody entirely live, without any pre-recorded aids or substitutes overriding their voice. Meanwhile, the Union continues to evaluate changes to the voting system. However, in the semi-finals, the national jury scoring will retain the familiar 50/50 format.

36 countries are expected to take part this year, but Slovenia, Spain and Hungary can still return and confirm their participation by December. The contest entries will be unveiled gradually throughout the national selection season, and with every new detail revealed, expectations for the event in Burgas continues to mount!