Sofia and Burgas Remain in Final Stage for Hosting Eurovision 2027, Plovdiv and Varna Dropped.
Plovdiv and Varna have been eliminated from the race to host Eurovision 2027, while Sofia and Burgas advance to the final stage. The reason is that the proposed venues in the dropped cities do not meet the production standards of the European Broadcasting Union.
Sofia and Burgas are the only two candidate cities to advance to the final stage of the selection process to host the 71st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Plovdiv and Varna have been eliminated following the completion of the first phase, the organizers announced.
After the initial evaluation, the municipalities of Varna and Plovdiv ended their participation because the venues they proposed did not fully meet the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) technical and production requirements. The first stage included a detailed assessment of the technical specifications of each proposed venue. The infrastructure, logistics, and production capabilities required for an event of this scale are subject to strict standards.
The bids from Sofia and Burgas will now proceed to the next phase of the selection process. According to the organizers, both cities demonstrated broad public and institutional support for hosting the contest in Bulgaria.
Burgas' bid became a citywide initiative following DARA's historic Eurovision victory with "Bangaranga" in Vienna. The Municipal Council backed the proposal with 50 votes in favor out of 51 councilors, while the local administration pledged to work closely with the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), state institutions, and the contest organizers.
In an official letter, BNT Director General Milena Milotinova thanked the teams from the eliminated municipalities for the thorough preparation of their bids. Eurovision Director Martin Green also sent a message to the unsuccessful candidates, highlighting the strong level of competition in Bulgaria.
A final decision on the host city is expected to be made soon and officially announced in the coming weeks.
The strong competition between the candidate cities reflects the significant economic and social benefits associated with hosting the Eurovision Song Contest. The elimination of Varna and Plovdiv does not rule out their participation in events related to the competition.