The international song contest Eurovision 2027 will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria. The semi-finals will be held on May 11 and 13, and the grand final on May 15.
The host city and the dates of the contest were announced during a press conference in Sofia.
At the beginning of the selection process, four Bulgarian cities submitted applications to host Eurovision 2027: Sofia, Burgas, Varna and Plovdiv. After the first stage of evaluation, only Sofia and Burgas remained in the final. Following the final selection results, the latter was awarded the right to host the contest.
The dates of the show were also confirmed during the conference. The first semi-final will be held on May 11, the second on May 13, and the winner of the 71st Eurovision Song Contest will be determined during the grand final on May 15.
The main arena for Eurovision 2027 will be Arena Burgas, a modern multi-purpose complex on the Black Sea coast. The arena was opened in 2023 and can accommodate up to 12,000 spectators. It has already hosted international sports competitions, concerts by world-class performers and large-scale cultural events.
According to Bulgarian media, the Bulgarian government plans to allocate 20 million euros for the contest. Funding will also be provided by the host city, the European Broadcasting Union and commercial partners.
Some of the rules for the contest have also changed. Starting in 2027, all artists must be at least 18 years old on the day of their first rehearsal.
The EBU explains that this decision “continues the work already begun by the contest to strengthen the protection and safeguarding of younger artists from the pressures associated with participating in the song contest.” Until now, the minimum age for participation in Eurovision was 16.
From now on, the rules also state that the winning broadcaster automatically loses the right to organize the contest if an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other circumstance significantly affects the security or stability of a state or region.
And regarding the songs. The basic principle remains unchanged – the lead vocalist must perform the main melody live. The purpose of the change: to protect the integrity of each performance and guarantee the audience a live sound.
The new clarification does not completely abolish the permission for recorded backing tracks. Still, it strictly prohibits dubbing the main line of the soloists with them, so that the phonogram can no longer mask flaws or replace live singing.