Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

Burgas has been selected as the host city for the 71st Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in Bulgaria in May 2027, AzerNEWS reports, citing the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

The announcement was made jointly by the EBU and Bulgarian National Television (BNT).

The Bulgarian Black Sea city will welcome artists, delegations, fans and journalists from around the world for three live shows. The two semifinals are scheduled for May 11 and 13, while the grand final will take place on May 15.

The competition will be staged at Arena Burgas, Bulgaria's newest sports and entertainment venue, which opened in 2023.

A range of cultural and entertainment events will also be organized in Burgas during Eurovision week. Further details about the Eurovision Village, EuroClub and other activities are expected to be announced in the coming months.

Fans will also be able to attend six preview shows scheduled from May 10 to May 15, 2027. Those interested in purchasing tickets must register with Eurofan, the official free Eurovision fan club. Further information on ticket sales will be announced at a later date.

Bulgaria secured the right to host Eurovision 2027 after winning the 2026 contest in Vienna with "Bangaranga", performed by Dara, whose full name is Darina Nikolaeva Yotova.

The song received 516 points, finishing 173 points ahead of Israel, which placed second.

The 2027 contest will mark the first time Bulgaria hosts the Eurovision Song Contest.

At present, 20 countries have expressed interest in participating in Eurovision 2027, but this is not yet the final confirmed list of participants. The current list includes Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, North Macedonia, Norway, Romania, San Marino, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Canada is confirmed to make its Eurovision debut in 2027. CBC/Radio-Canada will represent the country, and Canada will compete in one of the semifinals.

Note that Azerbaijan has not yet officially confirmed its participation or selection details for the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest.

The country has enjoyed a strong record at the Eurovision Song Contest, particularly during its first years of participation. The country achieved a remarkable five-year Top 5 streak, finishing third in 2009, fifth in 2010, winning the contest in 2011, placing fourth in 2012 and taking second place in 2013.

Azerbaijan made its Eurovision debut in 2008 with the duo Elnur and Samir, who finished eighth in the final with "Day After Day." A year later, Aysel and Arash secured third place with their entry, while Safura Alizada finished fifth at the 2010 contest in Oslo.

Azerbaijan claimed its first Eurovision victory in 2011 when Ell and Nikki won with "Running Scared." The victory brought the competition to Baku in 2012, where the contest was staged at the Crystal Hall. Ell and Nikki also became the first Azerbaijani winners of Eurovision.

In 2018, Aisel Mammadova represented Azerbaijan with "X My Heart." Despite a strong performance in the semifinal, she did not advance to the grand final.

Azerbaijan returned to the final in 2019 with Chingiz Mustafayev and his song "Truth," finishing eighth overall.

The 2020 Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the European Broadcasting Union organized "Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light," featuring the entries selected for the cancelled competition. Azerbaijan was represented by Samira Efendi with "Cleopatra." She returned to the contest in 2021 with "Mata Hari," which incorporated elements of Azerbaijani musical traditions, including the sounds of the zurna and nagara and melodies associated with the folk dance Yalli.

In 2022, Nadir Rustamli represented Azerbaijan with "Fade to Black," finishing 16th in the final with 106 points.

Azerbaijan was represented at Eurovision 2023 by the brothers TuralTuranX, who performed "Tell Me More" in Liverpool. The 2023 contest marked Azerbaijan's 15th participation since its debut.

In 2024, Fahree and Ilkin Dovlatov represented the country with "Özünlə Apar." The song was written by Fahree, Edgar Ravin, Hasan Haydar, Mila Miles and Mado Salikh.

For Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, Azerbaijan selected Mamagama internally to represent the country with "Run with U." The group performed in the first semifinal on May 13 but did not qualify for the final.

At the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Austria, Azerbaijan was represented by Jamila Hashimova, known professionally as JIVA, with "Just Go."

She performed second in the second semifinal. The song, composed by Fuad Javadov with lyrics by Javadov and Nurlana Jafarova, focused on love, heartbreak and finding inner strength after the end of a relationship.