Bulgaria forms government working group to oversee Eurovision 2027 preparations

Bulgaria moved from celebrating its first Eurovision victory to planning the next contest within days of the final in Vienna. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at a cabinet meeting on May 20 that the government was setting up an interdepartmental organizing committee for Eurovision 2027 after singer DARA won the 2026 contest for Bulgaria. Eurovoix reported the committee as a working group for contest preparations, and Bulgarian outlet The Sofia Globe said Radev announced the move at the regular cabinet session. DARA won the May 16 final in Vienna with “Bangaranga,” capping Bulgaria’s first-ever Eurovision title. ### When did the Bulgarian government act? May 20 was the key date for the government response. The Sofia Globe reported that Radev told ministers at the cabinet meeting that Bulgaria was setting up an interdepartmental organizing committee for hosting Eurovision 2027 after DARA’s victory. May 21 brought the follow-up report from Eurovoix, which said the Bulgarian government had established a working group to oversee preparations. The move put the state formally alongside Bulgarian broadcaster BNT, which would be central to any host-country planning for the European Broadcasting Union-run event. ### How big was DARA’s win in Vienna? Vienna hosted the 70th Eurovision Song Contest final on May 16, and DARA finished first with 516 points. Eurovisionworld’s results page shows Bulgaria received 312 points from the public vote and 204 from juries. Eurovoix reported that DARA became the first act since Salvador Sobral in 2017 to win both the jury vote and the public vote. The Associated Press also described the result as Bulgaria’s first Eurovision win. ### What does the scoreboard show about the 2026 contest? Eurovisionworld listed 35 participants in the 2026 contest and 25 countries in the grand final. The site said the automatic finalists were France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and defending champion Austria, with 10 qualifiers advancing from each semifinal. Israel finished second on 343 points and Romania was third on 296, according to the same results page. Bulgaria’s 516-point total put it well clear of the field. ### Who will handle the 2027 preparations? BNT is expected to be the lead broadcaster on the Bulgarian side, while the government committee would coordinate the wider state role. Eurovoix has separately reported that BNT and the Bulgarian government already held a first meeting on hosting. Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv have all been publicly linked to potential bids to host the 2027 contest in separate Eurovoix reports published after the final. Those early signals suggest the next phase will center on venue capacity, transport links and financing, though Bulgarian authorities have not yet announced a host city. ### What happens next before Eurovision 2027? The next concrete step is a formal host-city process. Eurovoix has reported expressions of interest from Sofia, Varna and Plovdiv, but no official selection has been announced. The European Broadcasting Union and BNT would ultimately need to confirm the host venue and production plans for Eurovision 2027. For now, the clearest public milestones are the Bulgarian government’s May 20 committee decision, DARA’s May 16 win in Vienna, and the early jockeying among Bulgarian cities to stage next year’s contest.