Vassil Terziev, the Mayor of Sofia, has confirmed that the Bulgarian capital will bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2027.
The Bulgarian capital has confirmed that it will bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 following DARA’s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Speaking on Nova Television, Mr Terziev, stated that his city will bid. Regarding bidding he added:
“Arena 8888 – Sofia has a large capacity. The economic effect is long-term – it is not measured only by the tourists who come, but by how many people have learned about the capital and the city and have seen a place they would like to visit,” he said.
“It became clear with the Giro d’Italia that Sofia can host such major events,”
The rules outlined by the European Broadcasting Union state that a city must meet the following requirements to be able to host:
The venue must be available for a period of eight weeks at a minimum, seven weeks before the final and one week after the final
A fully equipped event hall with appropriate capacity and infrastructure
Good international connections
Sufficient accommodation in the region
Outline of the host city’s organisational, security, and sustainable implementation capabilities
The venue must have the capacity for at least 10,000 people
Only two indoor arenas exist in Bulgaria that have the capacity to hold at least 10,000 people. Arena Sofia in the Bulgarian capital, which has a capacity for up to 17,906 people and was the venue for the last time Bulgaria hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2015. The other venue is the Arena Burgas, which opened in 2023, and can hold up to 15,000 people in a concert setting.
To date, Burgas and Sofia have expressed their intention to bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2027.
Bulgaria is the winner of the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria. The song that Dara performed in Vienna was called “Bangaranga”. It was written and composed by Anne Judith Wik, Cristian Tarcea, Darina Yotova (Dara), Dimitris Kontopoulos.
The result brings Bulgaria its first victory in the Eurovision Song Contest. DARA is also the first artist since Salvador Sobral in 2017 to win both the public and jury votes. Prior to this, the country’s best result was second place, achieved by Kristian Kostov in 2017. As Bulgaria emerged as a dark horse contender, rapidly climbing in the betting odds after the second rehearsal.
Source: BTA
Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest+
Bulgaria debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2005. The country competed annually from 2005 to 2013, before withdrawing for two years due to financial issues. Since returning to the contest in 2016, Bulgaria qualified for the final in every contest they have competed in up until the 2022 contest. Bulgaria took its first victory in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026, represented by DARA and “Bangaranga” scoring 516 points.