Eurovision 2027: Everything We Know So Far
EurovisionPicks Team ·
Eurovision is heading to the Black Sea. The 71st Eurovision Song Contest will be held in **Burgas, Bulgaria** in May 2027, after Bulgarian singer **DARA** won the 2026 contest in Vienna with the song "Bangaranga." Here is a comprehensive, continually-relevant roundup of everything confirmed, and everything still to be decided, about Eurovision 2027.
Eurovision is heading to the Black Sea. The 71st Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria in May 2027, after Bulgarian singer DARA won the 2026 contest in Vienna with the song "Bangaranga." Here is a comprehensive, continually-relevant roundup of everything confirmed, and everything still to be decided, about Eurovision 2027.
How Bulgaria Earned the Right to Host
Bulgaria's hosting rights were secured on the back of DARA's victory at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on May 16, 2026. Performing "Bangaranga," DARA delivered Bulgaria's first-ever Eurovision win, finishing on 516 points (204 from the juries and 312 from the public televote). It was also the first time since Kyiv in 2017 that the juries and the televote agreed on the same winner, and Bulgaria's winning margin of 173 points over the runner-up is the largest in the contest's 70-year history, beating Alexander Rybak's previous record margin from 2009 by four points.
The final scoreboard in Vienna saw Israel finish second with Noam Bettan's "Michelle," Romania third with Alexandra Căpitănescu's "Choke Me," followed by Australia and Italy in the top five. The United Kingdom finished last, with just one point.
DARA is already a well-known pop star in Bulgaria, known for hits including "Thunder," "Call Me" and "Mr. Rover," and a former mentor on The Voice of Bulgaria. She released her album ADHDARA in 2025 ahead of her Eurovision breakthrough. "Bangaranga" was co-written by Anne Judith Stokke Wik, Darina Yotova, Dimitris Kontopoulos and Monoir.
Under Eurovision's long-standing tradition, the winning country's broadcaster, in this case BNT (Bulgarian National Television), earns the right to host the following year's contest.
Host City: Burgas Beats Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna
On August 13, 2026, the EBU and BNT confirmed that Burgas will host Eurovision 2027, the first time Eurovision has ever been held in Bulgaria. Four Bulgarian cities originally entered the bidding process: Burgas, Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna. Plovdiv and Varna were eliminated in an early round, leaving Burgas and Sofia to compete for the final decision, which went to Burgas.
Burgas is Bulgaria's fourth-largest city and one of its most important Black Sea ports. It is home to the Sea Garden waterfront park and has an international airport along with modern road, rail and public transport connections.
Explaining the choice, Eurovision Director Martin Green said Burgas "brings something really special to the Eurovision Song Contest. It is a vibrant, welcoming city on the Black Sea with a strong musical and cultural identity." BNT Director General Milena Milotinova said Bulgaria "will showcase the very best of our culture, hospitality and professionalism," while Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov called it "Bulgaria hosting Eurovision – an entire community, united and inspired."
Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna are expected to host accompanying cultural programming even though they will not stage the contest itself.
Venue and Dates
The contest will be staged at Arena Burgas, a modern indoor arena that opened in 2023 and holds up to 15,000 spectators. It has previously hosted international sporting events and concerts.
The official 2027 schedule is:
* Semi-Final 1: Tuesday, May 11, 2027
* Semi-Final 2: Thursday, May 13, 2027
* Grand Final: Saturday, May 15, 2027
All three shows are scheduled to begin at 21:00 CEST, with roughly six additional preview and jury shows expected to take place between May 10 and May 15, 2027, following the usual Eurovision week format. As with previous host cities, Burgas is also expected to stage a Eurovision Village festival area for live performances and public viewing, and a EuroClub venue for official after-parties and delegation performances. Ticket sales are expected to open in late 2026, with an exact on-sale date not yet announced.
Who's Competing: Confirmed and Expected Participants
Broadcasters have until mid-September 2026 to formally apply to participate, with a grace period for withdrawals running until mid-October 2026, so the final lineup will not be locked in until then. As of the most recent reporting, roughly 20 countries have already confirmed participation, including Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Finland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Greece, Canada, Israel, Italy, Romania, Latvia, Austria, San Marino, Lithuania, Malta and Sweden.
Around 40 countries are expected to take part in total, with a maximum of 44 eligible entries under EBU rules and up to 26 nations qualifying for the Grand Final (the host country, defending broadcasters and the "Big Five" funders are automatically guaranteed final slots, alongside qualifiers from the two semi-finals).
A number of countries had not confirmed their participation at the time of writing, including Australia, Belgium, France, Portugal, Estonia, Czechia, Albania, Poland, Cyprus, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.
Canada's Historic Debut
The single biggest structural change to the contest for 2027 is the arrival of a brand-new country: Canada. Canada's public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union on June 25–26, 2026, clearing the way for Canada to compete at Eurovision for the first time. It is the first new country to join the contest since Australia's debut in 2015, and continues the EBU's expansion of Eurovision beyond its European roots.
Announcing the news, CBC/Radio-Canada President and CEO Marie-Philippe Bouchard said Canadian participation "starting next year in Bulgaria, will allow Canadian talent to be showcased on one of the most storied music stages in the world." Eurovision Director Martin Green called it "a further sign that, while born in Europe, the Contest continues to welcome the world."
The EBU noted that Canadian viewers ranked in the top three for "Rest of the World" voting during Vienna 2026 and made up a significant share of ticket buyers from outside Europe, factors widely seen as influencing Canada's invitation. CBC/Radio-Canada has said it will announce how it plans to select Canada's entry (whether via national final, internal selection, or another format) later in 2026.
The Israel Question and Possible Returning Countries
Eurovision 2026 was overshadowed by a boycott movement tied to Israel's participation amid the war in Gaza. Four broadcasters, Ireland (RTÉ), the Netherlands (AVROTROS), Spain (RTVE) and Slovenia (RTVSLO), formally withdrew from the Vienna contest, citing the humanitarian situation in Gaza and, in some cases, concerns about Israel being used to make a political statement through the contest. Iceland's broadcaster also considered withdrawing, with its board recommending Israel's exclusion, before ultimately not competing.
The EBU took no action to exclude Israel from the 2026 contest, and Israel went on to finish second in Vienna. Instead, EBU members voted to tighten voting rules in response to long-running allegations that Israel's entries had benefited from coordinated or manipulated voting.
Israel is listed among the countries that have already confirmed participation in Eurovision 2027. It remains to be seen whether the broadcasters that withdrew in 2026 (Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia) will return for Burgas. As of the most recent reporting they are grouped among roughly nine nations whose 2027 status is still undecided, alongside other 2026 non-participants such as Monaco, Slovakia, Hungary and Turkey. A final picture will not emerge until broadcasters' participation deadlines pass in September and October 2026.
Countries Permanently Out
Separately from the Israel-related withdrawals, several countries remain excluded from Eurovision for unrelated reasons and are not expected to feature in Burgas: Russia and Belarus remain suspended/excluded from EBU membership activities following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco and Andorra are not competing due to their own broadcasters' decisions or membership status.
New Rules Confirmed for 2027
The EBU has already announced a set of rule changes that will apply from Eurovision 2027 onward:
Host-country security clause: A new rule states that the previous year's winning broadcaster can be ruled ineligible to host if armed conflict, geopolitical tension or instability affects its region's security. The EBU may commission independent security assessments and consult its Reference Group; if the winning broadcaster cannot host, hosting duties pass to an alternative broadcaster.
Live vocal requirement reinforced: The rules now explicitly state that "the lead singer or lead singers must perform the main melody live." Backing tracks are still allowed, but pre-recorded material can no longer replace or excessively support the lead vocal line.
Minimum age raised to 18: The minimum age for competing artists has been raised from 16 to 18, effective from the first rehearsal day of the contest. The EBU has framed this as a safeguarding measure to protect younger performers from the pressures of competing.
Voting-promotion guidelines: Broadcasters, artists and commentators are still permitted to encourage viewers to vote and explain how to do so, but the rules now explicitly prohibit "disproportionate promotional activity," including large-scale or state-backed campaigns.
Eurovision Director Martin Green said the changes are intended to provide "greater clarity, protecting artists and ensuring the Contest continues to provide a safe and welcoming environment," while preserving the integrity of the competition.
A Bigger Change May Be Coming: Overhauling the Vote
Separately from the confirmed rule changes above, the EBU has said it is actively exploring a more far-reaching overhaul of the public voting system, with an eye toward implementing it in time for Burgas 2027. Two changes are reportedly under consideration:
* Moving public voting exclusively online, through the EBU's own "esc.vote" platform, phasing out telephone and SMS voting.
* Introducing mandatory multi-country voting, which would require viewers to spread their votes across several different entries (for example, voting for three favorites) rather than backing a single country repeatedly.
In a letter to member broadcasters, the EBU acknowledged that "today's geopolitical climate is driving votes for certain artists for reasons that have very little to do with their performances," a direct reference to persistent concerns about bloc voting along political and diaspora lines. Online-only voting would, in theory, make it technically possible to enforce more complex voting rules than the current phone/SMS system allows, where viewers must currently cast votes sequentially.
This proposal follows interim anti-manipulation measures already introduced for 2026, including capping individual voters at 10 votes per payment method and reinstating semi-final juries. Broadcasters from Belgium, Finland and Norway are among those who have publicly pushed for greater voting transparency in the wake of recent contests. The EBU says it will need to review national legislation governing voting and telecoms regulation in each participating country before finalizing any changes, so it is not yet guaranteed that a new system will be ready in time for 2027.
What's Still Unknown
A number of major details have not yet been announced and are expected to be revealed over the coming months:
* The official slogan and logo for Eurovision 2027 (traditionally unveiled several months ahead of the contest).
* The contest's hosts/presenters and executive producer.
* The exact ticket on-sale date (currently expected "late 2026").
* Bulgaria's own national selection process for its 2027 entry, given that BNT will now also be organizing the host broadcast.
* Canada's selection method for its debut entry.
* The final confirmed list of participating countries, which won't be settled until after the mid-October 2026 withdrawal deadline.
* Whether the EBU's proposed online-only, multi-country voting system will actually be adopted in time for Burgas.
Key Dates to Watch
* Mid-September 2026: Deadline for broadcasters to submit participation applications.
* Mid-October 2026: Grace period ends for broadcasters to withdraw.
* Late 2026: Expected window for ticket sales to open; national selection shows begin across Europe.
* May 10–15, 2027: Eurovision week in Burgas, including preview and jury shows.
* May 11, 2027: Semi-Final 1.
* May 13, 2027: Semi-Final 2.
* May 15, 2027: Grand Final.
Image Source: EBC / Eurovision Song Contest