The Bulgarian city of Burgas has been chosen to host the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, it was announced Thursday.
Bulgaria earned the right to host the competition after its representative, Dara, won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna with the song "Bangaranga", defying pre-contest predictions. It was Bulgaria’s first-ever Eurovision victory and, as a result, will also mark the first time the country hosts the contest.
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Bulgaria’s 2026 Eurovision representative with the trophy after her victory was announced
(Photo: Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)
Burgas reached the final stage of the host-city race alongside the capital, Sofia, before ultimately being selected.
The dates for the competition also were announced. The first semifinal will take place on May 11, Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. By the time the evening broadcast begins, Israel’s Independence Day will already have started. The second semifinal will be held two days later, on May 13, with the grand final scheduled for May 15.
Because of the schedule, Israel is expected to compete in the second semifinal, since the key rehearsal for the first semifinal would fall on the eve of Israel’s Memorial Day.
Israel, represented at the most recent contest by Noam Bettan and his song "Michelle", finished in second place. “We felt a sense of unity after such a long time without it, and I thank God that I was able to serve as a conduit for that moment,” Bettan said after returning to Israel.
“I have one small request, and I will try to live by it myself: unity. We just had a peak moment, but we still have tomorrow, another year and another 50 or 100 years ahead of us. I ask all of us to make an effort and be good to one another,” he said.
Noam Bettan on the Eurovision stage
(Photo: Yuval Chen)
The European Broadcasting Union on Wednesday also announced several new rules amid widespread protests over Israel’s participation in Eurovision and after Israel finished second for a second consecutive year.
Under one of the new rules, a winning country facing a security threat or geopolitical conflict could lose its automatic right to host the following year’s contest. The measure is seen as being aimed at countries such as Israel and Ukraine.
Another rule announced Wednesday raises the minimum age for Eurovision contestants to 18, up from 16.