Bulgarian National Television (BNT) has formally responded to Sofia Municipality following questions surrounding the decision to select Burgas as the host city for Eurovision 2027. Sofia was among the finalists in the bidding process, but the final international assessment ultimately favoured the Black Sea city to host one of Europe’s biggest televised music events.
According to BNT, Sofia Municipality had been provided in advance with specific requirements that its bid needed to meet. These were based on the standards established by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), with Sofia’s proposal subsequently assessed against the predetermined criteria.
BNT points to shortcomings in Sofia’s bid
In its official response, BNT provided Sofia Municipality with additional information about the reasons why the Bulgarian capital was not selected to host the contest.
The public broadcaster also identified specific areas in which Sofia’s proposal did not fully meet the requirements. However, the details have not been made public, as some of the information is intended solely for internal use by Sofia Municipality under the confidentiality agreements between BNT and the bidding cities.
BNT thanked Sofia for its participation and commitment throughout the process and expressed hope that the feedback would prove useful when preparing future bids to host major international events.
Burgas and Sofia reached the final stage
Four Bulgarian cities initially entered the race to host Eurovision 2027: Burgas, Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv.
Varna and Plovdiv were eliminated after the first stage, leaving Burgas and Sofia to compete in the final phase of the selection process. Their bids were evaluated by an international working group involving representatives of BNT and the EBU.
The assessment considered a wide range of factors, including the technical capabilities of the proposed venues, infrastructure, accommodation capacity, transport links, international connectivity, security and each city’s ability to accommodate the thousands of contestants, national delegations, journalists, production crews and fans expected to arrive in May 2027.
Following the evaluation, Burgas was selected as the city offering the strongest overall proposal.
Why Burgas was chosen to host Eurovision
According to information released by the organisers, the decision was not based solely on the capabilities of Arena Burgas. The assessment considered the overall combination of a suitable venue for the televised shows, hotel capacity, transport infrastructure, international accessibility and the commitment of the local authorities.
Another important element was the concept of taking Eurovision beyond the arena and transforming it into an experience involving the wider city and surrounding region.
Burgas also benefits from having its own international airport within easy reach of the city. Its international connectivity is already beginning to expand specifically for the period surrounding the contest.
Burgas Airport is preparing new flights for Eurovision 2027, with the first changes to airline schedules already announced. This will be an important part of the preparations, as the airport will need to handle a significantly higher volume of international passengers during Eurovision week.
Burgas is expanding its international air connections
One of the first changes concerns the connection with the Austrian capital. Austrian Airlines is expected to begin its seasonal service earlier than usual in 2027, with the first direct Vienna–Burgas flight scheduled for 8 May, just days before the first semi-final.
Additional flights from Vienna to Burgas could also benefit visitors travelling from other countries. Vienna is one of Europe’s major aviation hubs, providing numerous connecting options for passengers travelling onwards to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
Capacity from the UK is also being expanded. Jet2 has announced additional services from Birmingham, East Midlands, Glasgow and Manchester, while its wider network will provide direct connections to Burgas from 11 airports across the United Kingdom.
As a result, flights from the UK to Burgas will be among the important direct travel options available to international Eurovision fans planning to attend the contest.
The expansion of these routes also demonstrates why transport and international connectivity formed an important part of the host-city evaluation. For an event on the scale of Eurovision, the ability to accommodate large numbers of international visitors within a relatively short period is a significant organisational consideration.
Eurovision 2027 will take place at Arena Burgas
Burgas will host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest following DARA’s historic victory with “Bangaranga” in Vienna in 2026. It will mark the first time Bulgaria has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest.
The first semi-final will take place on 11 May, followed by the second semi-final on 13 May. The Grand Final is scheduled for Saturday, 15 May 2027.
All three televised shows will be staged at Arena Burgas, but Eurovision activities will extend well beyond the venue itself. Eurovision Village, EuroClub and a range of cultural and entertainment events are expected to take place across different parts of the city.
The organisers have highlighted the opportunity to turn Eurovision into a city-wide experience involving both international visitors and Burgas residents as one of the strengths of the winning bid.
Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv will also be part of Eurovision 2027
Burgas being selected as the host city does not mean the other bidding cities will be excluded from the event.
BNT plans to involve Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv in the wider Eurovision programme. The ambition is to use Bulgaria’s first Eurovision hosting opportunity to showcase not only Burgas, but the country as a cultural and tourism destination to the contest’s huge international audience.
Further details of this programme are expected to be announced as preparations progress.
For Burgas, however, the main preparations for May 2027 are now beginning. Expanding international air connections, organising local transport, accommodating visitors and preparing public spaces will be among the major priorities over the coming months.
The host-city selection process is now complete. Following BNT’s formal response to Sofia, attention is increasingly shifting away from the bidding process and towards a much bigger challenge: preparing Burgas to host the first Eurovision Song Contest ever held in Bulgaria.
