On 13 August 2026 the European Broadcasting Union and Bulgarian National Television confirmed it: the 71st Eurovision Song Contest goes to Burgas. The shows will be staged at Arena Burgas, with the semi-finals on Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 May 2027 and the Grand Final on Saturday 15 May. It is the first time Bulgaria hosts the contest, a right earned by DARA's win in Vienna with "Bangaranga".
Comparing options first? See our area-by-area guide to places to stay for Eurovision 2027.
Burgas beat Sofia in the last round of the host city race. For a city of its size that is a big deal, and it raises one very practical question for anyone planning to come: where do you sleep?
What is confirmed, and what is not
Confirmed: the city, the venue and the three show dates. Not confirmed at the time of writing, in early October 2026: ticket prices, the on-sale date, and the details of the Eurovision Village and the fan events. The official FAQ on eurovision.com says that tickets are not yet on sale, that prices have not been announced, and that only people with a free Eurofan account will be able to buy them. It also notes that the arena's final capacity depends on how the production is set up. So if you see "tickets" offered somewhere today, they are not official.
The organisers also say more host city information on accommodation and transport will follow. Keep an eye on it, and until then make sure any booking you make comes with cancellation terms you understand.
Why beds became the first problem
Burgas is a working port city, not a resort lined with hotel blocks. Within a day of the announcement, Bulgarian media were reporting the effect. bTV's business desk, quoted by Novinite on 14 August, found that almost everything listed in Burgas on the big booking platforms for 11–15 May was either taken or withdrawn, and that some of what remained was priced above €4,000 a night. BNT reported hotels in the region opening waiting lists. The same reports noted that nearby towns such as Pomorie, Chernomorets and Sozopol still had much cheaper options.
Prices like those rarely last. Owners test the market, and plenty of listings will come back at saner rates. Still, the direction is clear: a contest week brings delegations, press, crews and fans all at once, and the city alone cannot absorb them. The coast around it will.
Sozopol as a base: the honest numbers
Sozopol sits about 35 km south of Burgas along the coast road. Regular buses link Sozopol with Burgas South bus station during the day, which works well for an afternoon in the city or a daytime fan event.
Evenings need more thought. Eurovision live shows traditionally start at 21:00 Central European Time, which is 22:00 in Bulgaria, and the final runs for around four hours. You will leave the arena well after midnight, when no regular bus is running. Plan on a hire car, a pre-booked transfer or a taxi shared between a few people. Whether there will be official shuttles from the coastal towns has not been announced, so don't count on them yet.
Flying in? Burgas Airport lies on the north side of the city, roughly 45 km from Sozopol. Allow 45–50 minutes by road.
What you get for the commute
A quiet town to come back to, for one. Mid-May is before the summer season here. The lanes of the old town are nearly empty, the light is soft, and you can walk along the sea wall without weaving through crowds. The flip side, to be fair: the sea is still cold for swimming, and some seasonal restaurants and beach bars only open towards the end of the month. If you are coming for the contest plus a few slow days by the water, that is a good trade.
An apartment helps with the odd hours, too. Show nights end late and breakfast happens whenever it happens; a kitchen, a fridge and a balcony make that easy. Our Sozopol apartments are in the Santa Marina holiday village, about 2 km from the old town, with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and an equipped kitchen. A few friends sharing an apartment and one car is probably the most sensible way to do Eurovision week on this coast.
Or stay north: Nessebar and Sveti Vlas
Burgas has resorts on both sides. We also look after apartments in Nessebar and Sveti Vlas, a similar drive north of the city, beyond the airport. If you would like to pair the contest with Nessebar's UNESCO-listed old town, that side works just as well. Tell us what matters to you and we will say which one we would pick.
How to plan it
- Register for Eurofan now. It is free, and it is the only route to official tickets.
- Sort out the bed before the ticket rush. Demand for rooms tends to jump each time a ticket wave is announced.
- Ask about cancellation. You may not get tickets for the show you wanted, so know your terms.
- Arrange the night ride early. Cars and drivers will be scarce in the week itself.
- Add a few days. Arriving the weekend before gives you the whole contest week and time for day trips along the coast.
Check your dates with us
We are a small, family-run business, which means a limited number of apartments and a real person answering. May falls outside our usual summer calendar, so the simplest thing is to ask: send your dates and group size through the availability page or the contact page, and we will tell you plainly what we can offer for Eurovision week. No payment is taken at the request stage. And if you end up with free hours between shows, Sozopol's 2,600 years of history are a short ride from your door.