site.btaSofia Mayor Says Sofia Will Be Part of Eurovision 2027, Calls for Transparency over Host City Decision

Sofia will be part of the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, but answers are needed about how Burgas was selected as the host city, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

On August 13, Burgas was officially chosen to host the contest in May 2027.

"Burgas won. Eurovision is coming to Bulgaria. And Burgas's success should be Bulgaria's success," Terziev said, adding that Sofia would provide whatever support it could to help make Eurovision 2027 a success.

"But we also have questions, and I believe Bulgarian National Television should provide answers," the mayor said.

Terziev said Sofia met the host city criteria and had been a serious candidate, which made transparency about the selection process important to all Sofia residents. He said BNT should explain what criteria were applied, how much weight was given to each, how Sofia and Burgas were assessed, where Burgas scored higher and which experts took part in the selection.

"This is not a criticism of Burgas, nor an attempt to challenge its right to host the contest," Terziev said, stressing that transparency would build trust.

He called for the focus to be on the wider opportunity for Bulgaria, saying Eurovision winner Dara had given the country an "incredible chance" to attract the attention of hundreds of millions of viewers. "This is now much bigger than a competition between two cities," he said.

Terziev said Sofia would be part of Eurovision, noting that many visitors would pass through or stay in the capital. The city should offer a week of Eurovision events in squares, on stages, in neighbourhoods and public spaces.

Sofia is ready to support Burgas with experience, expertise and contacts, Terziev said.

"We will ask questions, but we will not allow them to stand in the way of our shared success. Years from now, no one will remember the press releases, the disputes or who said what in August 2026. They will remember Bulgaria in May 2027. They will remember whether we were good hosts and how we made them feel," the post says.

The selection of the host city involved a committee comprising representatives of BNT and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), as well as experts, who reviewed the bids and assessed the technical specifications of the proposed venues, their compliance with EBU requirements and the contest's production standards. During the evaluation process, Varna and Plovdiv were eliminated, leaving Burgas and Sofia in the running, according to the international evaluation committee.