site.btaEurovision Host City to Be Named within Weeks

The city to host the Eurovision Grand Final in 2027 will be named within weeks, Milena Milotinova, Director General of Bulgarian National Television (BNT), told reporters at the Council of Ministers on Friday. "It is too early to say which city will host the Eurovision Song Contest; we will announce the requirements for the host city next week or the week after," she specified.

Bulgaria will be hosting the event after its representative, Dara, won the 70th edition at the Grand Final in Vienna on May 17, 2026.

Sofia, Burgas, Varna, and Plovdiv have already submitted bids for Eurovision. BNT will announce the so-called “city beat” and give candidates the opportunity to answer specific questions about Eurovision, she explained. The requirements are standard and mandatory, she added.

“I do not want to give anything away,” Milotinova said in response to a question about which city has the best chances and whether there is a suitable venue for the contest. She emphasized that BNT will work with the EBU and Eurovision during the process.

There must be a venue with a capacity of at least 10,000 people, vast areas for a press centre, other open spaces for the artists and their teams, as well as a space for hair and makeup, Milotinova noted. According to her, the rules for hosting Eurovision are 200 pages long.

“Since we are starting work on the organization of the next Eurovision right from the very beginning, I believe we will do a good job and meet the standards,” Milotinova said. She stated that the government has provided assurances regarding funding for hosting the contest. The exact budget is yet to be finalized.

Milotinova was at the Council of Ministers to attend a meeting between Dara and Prime Minister Rumen Radev following Bulgaria’s success at Eurovision. 

During the meeting, Dara told the Prime Minister that Bulgaria is a wonderful country with great potential, and she wants to see that potential come to fruition. The singer expressed desire for real change to take place in the country – the kind that everyone at the protests wanted to see. Regarding her success at the Eurovision Contest, Dara said that this victory is very meaningful to her, but she hopes it is also important for young people, because it is a sign that negative energy can be overcome "with a strong spirit, love, and dedication to what we do." "Thank you, and Bangaranga to everyone," Dara said. "I never imagined I'd be able to say that here. The world is so interesting and vast right now," she shared. 

Welcoming her at the Council of Ministers, Radev said she was now part of European politics and presented her with a bouquet. “The big Eurovision win is yours and your team’s, and I want to thank you on behalf of the Bulgarian people, who need triumphs like this to believe in themselves,” Radev said. He thanked the singer for the “immense joy, the sense of national pride she brought to Bulgarians, and the positive emotions felt by millions of people around the world.“

Radev said that during his visit to Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed him by playing Dara’s Eurovision performance of Bangaranga on his phone. “I really want to congratulate you for the dignity you showed after this win. That is no less important than the win itself,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that work was beginning on preparations for Bulgaria to host Eurovision 2027. “Today, we are taking the first step towards organizing Eurovision 2027, once again thanks to Dara and her team. I believe this tremendous success will inspire us to surpass ourselves,” he said. He noted that institutions would make every effort to ensure the country will be represented with dignity on the international stage. “I want to assure you that we will put in the utmost effort to place Bulgaria where it belongs - with a respected place on the world map,” Radev said.

"A lot needs to be done to make Eurovision happen here," Dara told reporters after her meeting with the Prime Minister. "My task is to continue doing what I love and develop this potential, which is just beginning to shine on the international stage," Dara said. She added that her priorities are developing Bulgaria's music and breaking onto the world stage. "I hope we can instil in Bulgarians a love for music and have more reasons to come together," the singer shared.