Bulgaria won the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and is set to host the event in 2027.
DARA, Bulgaria’s representative, won the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 Iin Vienna with her song Bangaranga. Following the victory, BNT Director General Milena Milotinova confirmed during the winner’s press conference that Bulgaria intends to host the contest next year, hinting at the capital city, Sofia.
Bulgaria has several indoor arenas capable of hosting large-scale concerts. The country’s five largest indoor venues include:
- Arena Sofia (Sofia) — concert capacity of up to 17,906
- Arena Burgas (Burgas) — concert capacity of up to 14,500
- Kolodruma (Plovdiv) — concert capacity of up to 7,500
- Palace of Culture and Sports (Varna) — concert capacity of approximately 6,000
- OZK Arena (Ruse) — concert capacity of up to 6,300
However, based on current European Broadcasting Union (EBUP) requirements, only Sofia and Burgas arenas currently meet the minimum venue capacity standards for hosting Eurovision.
Current host city requirements include:
- 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
Arena Sofia (Sofia)
Arena Sofia, located in Bulgaria’s capital city, opened in 2011 and serves as the country’s main venue for maor sporting and cultural events. The arena regularly hosts basketball, volleyball, tennis, handball, and large concert productions. It has also staged international events such as the 2015 Men’s European Volleyball Championship and the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup.
The venue already has Eurovision experience, having hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, the first Eurovision event ever held in Bulgaria. That edition took place after Italy declined to host despite winning the previous year.
Beyond sports, Arena Sofia has welcomed major artists including Jean-Michel Jarre and Sade. With a concert capacity of up to 17,906, it would become one of the largest modern Eurovision venues, surpassing recent host arenas in Liverpool and Basel.
In comparison, last five venues since 2021 all had lower capacity than Arena Sofia:
- Turin, Inalpi Arena (PalaOlimpico): 15,657
- Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena: 11,000
- Malmö, Malmö Arena: 15,500
- Basel, St. Jakobshalle: 12,400
- Vienna, Wiener Stadthalle: 16,083
Following DARA’s victory, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev confirmed that the city intends to bid to host Eurovision 2027.
Arena Burgas (Burgas)
Arena Burgas is considered the second strongest option to host Eurovision 2027. Located on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, the venue officially opened in 2023 after years of construction delays.
The arena can accommodate around 15,000 spectators for concerts, making it larger than some recent Eurovision venues. Although it has less experience hosting international events than Arena Sofia, it has already staged the Bulgarian Basketball Cup, volleyball tournaments, and major combat sports events.
Following Bulgaria’s victory, Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov expressed interest in bringing Eurovision to the coastal city, stating that Burgas would do its best to enter the hosting race alongside Sofia.
Kolodruma (Plovdiv)
Kolodruma is a velodrome and a multifunctional indoor arena located in Plovdiv. Opened in 2015, the venue hosts cycling competitions, concerts and numerous sports events. The complex includes media facilities, underground parking, training areas, and commercial spaces.
The arena has previously welcomed artists such as Bryan Adams, Lepa Brena, and Sofi Marinova, who represented Bulgaria at Eurovision 2012 with the song “Love Unlimited.”
However, with a maximum concert capacity of around 7,500, Kolodruma currently falls below the EBU’s minimum requirement of 10,000 spectators.
Since Bulgaria’s win on Saturday night, the Mayor of Plovdiv stated that the city intends to bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2027. Most likely the venue would need significant venue expansion or renovation to fulfill the requirements.
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria and is home to just over 500,000 people. It is located 144 km southeast of the capital Sofia. It has a population of about 540,000 people in its greater metropolitan area. Today it serves as important economic, transport, cultural, and educational hub of Bulgaria. The city was the European Capital of Culture in 1999 and 2019.
Palace of Culture and Sports (Varna)
The Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna is one of Bulgaria’s most historic indoor venues. Opened in 1968, the complex contains three halls, with the largest, Kongresna Hall, accomodating around 6,000 spectators for concerts.
Over the decades, the venue has hosted numerous gymnastics, volleyball, and combat sports championships, alongside concerts and cultural events. The hall underwent major renovation work in 2015.
Despite Varna’s strong tourism infrastructure and Black Sea location, the venue currently does not meet Eurovision’s minimum capacity requirements. It has been announced earlier today by the mayor of the city that Varna wants to host Eurovision 2027, highlighting the emotional connection with DARA who is the city native.
Varna is Bulgaria’s third-largest city and the largest seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. The city has been a major economic, transportation, social, and cultural centre for the country. The metropolian area of Varna has slightly below 420,000 inhabitants.
OZK Arena (Ruse)
OZK Arena, also known as Arena Ruse, opened in 2015 and hosts sporting events, concerts, and touring productions. The venue can hold approximately 6,300 spectators for concerts.
The arena has hosted volleyball tournaments, dance productions such as Lord of the Dance, and concerts by artists including Goran Bregović in 2015.
Like Varna and Plovdiv, the venue currently falls below the EBU’s required minimum capacity and would require expansion to realistically enter the hosting race. So far, the city of Ruse has not officially commented on a possible Eurovision bid.
Ruse is the sixth-largest city in Bulgaria located in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube. It lies approximately 67 km south of Bucharest, 172 km from Varna, and 249 km from Sofia. Due to its location on the Danube river it became one of the most important cities for national trade. Ruse has approximately 130,000 inhabitants in total.
Organisational Requirements
Based on venue capacity alone, Sofia and Burgas are currently the only realistic candidates to host Eurovision 2027.
Sofia benefits from Bulgaria’s largest international airport, offering extensive connections across Europe through airlines such as Bulgaria Air, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. Burgas also operates an international airport, although its route network is more seasonal and tourism-focused.
Accommodation, venue availability, transport logistics, and financial commitments will likely become key factors as Bulgaria’s hosting plans develop in the coming months.
Potential Eurovision 2027 dates include:
- May 4, 6, and 8
- May 11, 13, and 15
- May 18, 20, and 22
- May 25, 27, and 29
Victory of Bulgaria
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. Bulgaria emerged as a dark horse winner, that climbed rapidly in the betting odds after the second rehearsal.
As the winner of the contest, they will be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027.
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.
