Image source, Hannibal Hanschke/EPA/Shutterstock Image caption, The 71st Eurovision final will take place on 15 May 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria after singer Dara's win last time out
Eurovision 2027 will be a seaside song contest held in the Bulgarian city of Burgas, organisers have confirmed.
The competition will take place in the city, which is close to the Black Sea, from 12 to 15 May, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Bulgarian National Television (BNT) announced on Thursday.
It comes after Bulgarian singer Dara won this year's contest in Vienna, Austria in May - her country's first Eurovision win - with her pneumatic dance anthem Bangaranga.
Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said they were "delighted" with the next choice of destination, adding that Burgas would "bring something really special" to the competition.
The contest, including rehearsals, the semi-finals and grand final, will be held at Bulgaria's newest sports and entertainment venue, Arena Burgas, which was opened in 2023.
"[Burgas] is a vibrant, welcoming city on the Black Sea with a strong musical and cultural identity, and it has the ambition, infrastructure and passion needed to welcome the Eurovision family," Green said.
"For the first Eurovision Song Contest ever to be held in Bulgaria, we want to create something that feels truly Bulgarian while also being unmistakably Eurovision – a celebration that brings people together through music."
Bulgaria's fourth largest city was selected for its "strong overall proposition, combining the venue and technical potential" - including hotel capacity, transport and international travel.
Reacting to the news, Dara said: "I'm so happy that Bulgaria will host Eurovision, so be ready because we're going to scream! And I know that all of my seaside people are great at parties."
It may come as a surprise to some Eurovision watchers that the contest will be held there and not in the capital, Sofia.
Speaking at a press conference after the most recent song contest in May, the director of BNT, Milena Miltenova, said: "I'm so proud of Dara's performance. What she did last night was amazing. And I'm so proud to say welcome to Sofia next year."
Dara - the winning contestant - said something similar at the time: "I'm so happy that you're coming to Sofia next year. I'm happy that it [Eurovision] is going to be in my home."
However, the EBU said on Thursday that Burgas was selected following a "competitive" process involving four Bulgarian cities.
Image source, BNT/City of Burgas Burgas and Sofia progressed to the final stage of the selection process following the initial bids, which also included Varna and Plovdiv.
Miltenova has said she is now "confident" that Bulgaria will be a "worthy" host and the country would "showcase the very best of our culture, hospitality and professionalism".
She added there would now be "an intensive period of collaboration" between all involved in order "to deliver a contest that meets the high expectations of millions of viewers around the world".
Burgas mayor Dimitar Nikolov added that it was an "exceptional honour".
The Eurovision Song Contest can have an impact beyond the stage, with the event providing a platform for host cities and countries to put themselves in the spotlight.
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