After Bulgaria's victory at Eurovision, the country's authorities began urgent preparations for the 2027 contest. The main question now is where to find tens of millions of euros to host the show, considering budget issues and limited infrastructure capabilities.
Bulgaria has just celebrated its victory at Eurovision, and the authorities are already facing a new reality: hosting the contest could cost the country tens of millions of euros.
As reported by tv3.lv, in the first working days after the final, representatives of state structures began discussing the organization of "Eurovision-2027" and searching for possible sources of funding.
The main questions now are which city will host the contest and how much it will ultimately cost.
Experience from previous years shows that expenses for Eurovision can be enormous. Switzerland allocated about 62 million euros for hosting the contest in 2025, Lisbon spent approximately 20 million euros in 2018, and Azerbaijan invested around 160 million euros in 2012, including the construction of a new arena in Baku.
During the week of Eurovision, the host country typically welcomes about 100,000 guests — tourists, journalists, fans, and delegations.
For Bulgaria, this is both an opportunity to earn from tourism and a serious financial burden. According to Eurostat, Bulgaria has long remained the poorest country in the European Union.
Former acting Minister of Finance Georgi Klisurski openly admitted that winning the contest has become an unexpected problem for the budget.
"Another hole appears in the budget. No one expected Eurovision," he stated.
The authorities are currently assessing how much funding the state will need to allocate.
Although part of the expenses is traditionally covered by the European Broadcasting Union, sponsors, and broadcasting companies, the main financial burden usually falls on the host country.
The General Director of Bulgarian National Television Milena Milotinova stated that preparations have already begun.
"From the outside, it seems that a year is a long time, but it is not," she emphasized, adding that Bulgaria will likely need to attract foreign specialists.
The government has already announced the creation of a separate structure that will handle the organization of the contest.
Currently, Sofia is considered the main candidate to host Eurovision.
The capital has the most suitable infrastructure, and the Arena 8888 Sofia can accommodate about 12,000 spectators — this meets the requirements of the European Broadcasting Union. It has previously hosted the Junior Eurovision.
Burgas and Varna have also expressed interest in hosting the contest, but their arenas are significantly smaller.
In addition to the venue itself, the city's infrastructure — hotels, transportation, airports, and security — plays an important role. Here, Bulgaria may face challenges. Although Sofia, Varna, and Burgas have international airports, critics are already warning that even the capital may lack accommodation for all the contest's guests without building additional hotels or temporary housing.
Against the backdrop of economic difficulties, the question of expenses for Eurovision is already sparking active debates within the country.
Supporters of the contest see it as an opportunity for international promotion of Bulgaria and tourism development, while critics fear that the costly show will become an additional burden on the budget.
For Bulgaria, winning Eurovision has become not only a reason for celebration but also a serious financial and organizational challenge.
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