Eurovision 2027 host city named within weeks

Bulgarian National Television said the city that will host the Eurovision Song Contest grand final in 2027 should be identified within weeks, putting Bulgaria on a compressed timetable after its first victory in the competition. Milena Milotinova, BNT’s director general, told reporters in Sofia on May 22 that it was still too early to name the city, but said the broadcaster would publish the host-city requirements “next week or the week after.” Bulgaria earned hosting rights after DARA won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna with “Bangaranga,” according to the European Broadcasting Union and BTA. (bta.bg) Sofia, Burgas, Varna and Plovdiv have already submitted bids, BTA reported. ### Which official actually said the decision is coming within weeks? Milena Milotinova made the comment at the Council of Ministers in Sofia on Friday, according to BTA. “The city to host the Eurovision Grand Final in 2027 will be named within weeks,” BTA quoted her as saying. She added that BNT would announce the requirements for the host city “next week or the week after.” The May 22 appearance came during a meeting involving Prime Minister Rumen Radev, DARA, her team and BNT management after Bulgaria’s win, BTA said. Three days earlier, Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev had said on Bulgarian National Television that Sofia was “unquestionably leading” on available opportunities, while also naming Burgas, Plovdiv and Varna as cities that had made statements of interest. (bta.bg) ### Which cities are in the running right now? BTA named four bidders: Sofia, Burgas, Varna and Plovdiv. Milotinova did not say which city was ahead, and she declined to answer a question on which one had the best chances. “I do not want to give anything away,” she said, according to BTA. (bta.bg) Sofia has been mentioned separately by government officials. Miloshev said the capital’s opportunities were “unquestionably leading,” but also said the reasonable approach was to consider all options before making a final decision. (bta.bg) ### What does a Eurovision host city need to provide? BTA reported that Milotinova said the venue must have capacity for at least 10,000 people. She also said the host city must provide large areas for a press center, open spaces for artists and their teams, and dedicated hair-and-makeup space. (bta.bg) Milotinova said the hosting rules run to 200 pages and that BNT would work with the European Broadcasting Union and Eurovision officials during the selection process, according to BTA. She also said the requirements were standard and mandatory. (bta.bg) ### Why is Bulgaria choosing a host city now? The European Broadcasting Union said DARA won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest for BNT on May 17 at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, giving Bulgaria its first-ever victory. BTA reported that the Bulgarian government has already begun organizing for 2027, including plans for an interdepartmental committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov. (bta.bg) Prime Minister Radev said on May 20 that preparations had already begun and that there was “no time for emotions,” according to BTA. Milotinova said on May 22 that the government had given assurances on funding, though the final budget had not yet been set. (bta.bg) ### What happens next in the selection process? Next week or the week after, BNT plans to publish what BTA described as the host-city requirements and to let candidate cities answer specific Eurovision-related questions. Milotinova said BNT would announce the so-called “city beat” as part of that process, BTA reported. (ebu.ch) Within weeks, BNT is expected to name the city for the 2027 grand final, with Sofia, Burgas, Varna and Plovdiv now publicly identified as bidders and the EBU involved in the process, according to BTA. (bta.bg 1) (bta.bg 2)