There was some confusion last week when the rules for Eurovision 2027 were published and they appeared to suggest jury voting in the semi finals may be scrapped again. The rules have now been revised to confirm they will continue to vote in the semi finals.
EBU source alleges BNT DIRECTOR is holding up Eurovision 2027 host city decision.
• Government and EBU prefer Burgas, but Milena Milotiniova (BNT Director) insists on Sofia "because she feels close to the mayor... although she officially cites logistics as the reason."
• Government is not keen to award contest, and its financial incentives, to Sofia which is run by a rival political party.
• The need to change the name of 8888 Arena, as well as current lack of availability of the arena, play against Sofia's bid.
The stalemate continues, according to the article. Still no indication on when a decision may be reached.
*ARTICLE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH*
The government and the festival organizers prefer Burgas, but the head of BNT has not given up for the sixth day
Six days after the deadline for announcing the host city of the Bulgarian Eurovision Song Contest, which was July 31, one has still not been named due to the stubbornness of BNT. This was revealed by a source from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is the official organizer of the festival. Although there are no written rules, the practice has always been followed so far for the settlement to be named unanimously by the host television and EBU. In poorer or authoritarian countries, as was the case in Serbia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Portugal, the final decision has always been with the political power in the person of the dictator (Ilham Aliyev, Vladimir Putin) or the governments.
The big turnaround is a fact: Burgas tied Sofia in the battle for Eurovision 2027 However, Bulgaria is currently in a stalemate because the general director of BNT, Milena Milotinova, refuses to join the opinion of the ESRT and the government of Rumen Radev that Burgas should host. Although a poor country, the political authorities - quite unexpectedly in such a situation - have taken a more liberal position towards their wards. This freedom allows the management of BNT to defend their decision without worrying about consequences. "Ms. Milotinova is categorical that Sofia should host because she feels close to the mayor of your capital, although she officially cites logistics as the reason," the source reveals.
He points out that it is the political battle that is behind the lack of a host city so far. On the last day of July, when it was supposed to be named, BNT tried to get away with a pathetic announcement in the news. It practically also contains false information: "The international working group on the selection of the host city of the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 continues its work. The evaluation process includes additional clarifications from the municipalities, which are still being considered." No additional clarifications are needed. All information about the possibilities of Sofia and Burgas was collected during the visits to the two cities by the EBU and BNT working group in July. The postponement of the decision is entirely in the hands of BNT, according to Geneva, where the headquarters of the European Broadcasting Union is located.
Burgas offers an impressive and different profile for Eurovision 2027 The sources indicate that the government committee for the contest, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov, believes that the festival should not be handed over to a city governed by the PP-DB. The Bulgarian government had no intention of pouring tens of millions of euros of state resources into the hands of Mayor Vasil Terziev, to whom the Prime Minister does not ask for any sympathy. Relations between the central government and the political forces behind Mr. Terziev have long been at the freezing point. For this reason, the government committee does not consider it appropriate for the state to finance a grandiose international event, from which the political opponent in the Sofia Municipality will accumulate dividends and media positives. This was the reason why the government expressed solidarity with the opinion of the [EBU] that Eurovision should be held by the sea.
The decision for Burgas is also a personal opinion of the Irishman Noel Curran, who is the general director of the European Games. Since he was elected to the post in 2017, he has pursued a more unconventional policy in choosing host cities. This is the reason why the small working-class Swedish city of Malmö (2024), which in terms of structure almost repeats Burgas, became such. Or Turin (2022), which is a textbook example of a working-class city – although its historical center is baroque and aristocratic (after all, it was once the capital of the Savoy dynasty), throughout the 20th century it bore the title of “Detroit of Italy”.
Burgas Airport enters the Eurovision battle with a bang: It is ready for 50,000 passengers per day
Mr. Curran and the [EBU] have also pointed out the capital's hall as a minus for Sofia. On the one hand, it should be renamed because of its current sponsor name "8888", which should be completely deleted from everywhere, even from ticket sales sites, and on the other hand, it is already engaged for various events in April and May 2027, when it should be fully available for the festival. Milena Milotinova, on the other hand, officially insists that if she sends the entire technical staff of BNT to Burgas for nearly 6 weeks, the time during which, along with rehearsals, the filming method and computer and TV effects will be adjusted, the television will not have people with whom to broadcast its own program.
[The EBU] cannot impose a city without the official consent of BNT, nor is the television station in a position to dictate the final decision on its own, since the checkbook is in the hands of the government. To strengthen BNT's push for Sofia, this year's winner Dara was included in the July 31 campaign: "Sofia. Sofia for many things, but mostly because I think that from Sofia you can go to really nice places to see. We have Belogradchik, which is close to Sofia. It's about a two-three hour drive and you have Rila Mountain. You can go there in May, it's beautiful."
For now, BNT remains adamant about Sofia. The [EBU] expects that Rumen Radev's government will intervene a little more seriously at some point to break the deadlock created by the television director general.
*ARTICLE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH*
By July 31, it should be clear which city will host Eurovision, after Dara brought victory to our country in May. Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas are in the running. This is outlined in the action plan for the preparation of Eurovision, which was adopted on Wednesday. All tasks in it have specific deadlines.
The show must have an appointed executive producer, creative director and show manager by August 30.
A contract with the hall must be signed by September 10. By September 30, the spaces in and around the selected hall must be allocated: press center, dressing rooms, costume rooms, VIP area, etc. By the same date, the preparation of the technical specifications for public procurement should also begin, market consultations should be launched to determine the current estimated value and schedule of the tenders. And the public procurement itself will start in January.
By October 10, an estimated budget and financing model (state, municipality, ESRT, sponsors, tickets) will be made.
A creative concept and visual identity should be determined by December 15.
At the end of November, the schedule provides for signed contracts with hotels. And a website should be launched in early 2027.
April is the deadline for the transport plan - airport arrivals, shuttles, providing a fleet.
The selection of presenters and a script team starts in November and ends in April.
Ticket sales start from January to May.
Exercises and training simulations will be held from mid-March to the end of April. During this period, the equipment will also be imported and the stage will be installed.
Improvements to the hall will be made in the first 20 days of April.
From April 13 to May 31 is the deadline for the construction of temporary facilities (tents, fences, signage), a plan for Eurovillage.
The dismantling and handover of the hall is from May 18 to May 24.
Martin Green has given an interview with Variety. I've listed some highlights here:
• Reports that Eurovision was facing financial difficulties due to the boycotting broadcasters was "bollocks".
• He is not aware of any other broadcasters intending to boycott and expects "there to be a few more [participating countries] next year."
• When asked if there's likely to be another vote on Israel's participation, he said: "No, that's done."
• There will be a ROTW vote in Eurovision Asia.
• When Green took up his role, he "stopped all the conversations that were going on about one-country Eurovisions".
• Asked if there are any other big projects in the works, Green said he hopes there'll be "some really fun and interesting stuff before the year is out".
I asked VRT if they had made any decisions about #Eurovision 2027 after last week's General Assembly, and I was informed that "there are no updates nor final decision."
They also clarified something that many of us had misunderstood: "I do want to clarify one point: you wrote that VRT stated that it would not send an artist to the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 if the EBU did not allow its members to vote directly on Kan’s participation. That’s not entirely accurate.
"VRT is criticizing the EBU’s overall approach and is asking for direct voting procedures in the future, not specifically regarding Kan/Israel’s participation. VRT finds it illogical that there is 'first a vote on whether or not there will be a vote', as was indeed the case for Kan/Israel’s participation. VRT is requesting direct member voting for all decisions within the EBU, not only those related to Israel."
Yasmine Van Der Borght, VRT Communications
The 10 finalists for Druk Dra (Bhutan's national final) have been announced:
• Drukbi Tshompapo
• Sangay Lhaden
• Pema Lhamo
• Nyendra
• Tashi Choden
• Dechen Pem
• Karma Drubchu
• Dorji Wangchuk
• Jigme Drukpa
• Baeyul 301
More details will be revealed soon.
***ARTICLE TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH***
The Swiss Eurovision Song Contest season 2027 is officially open: SRG confirms its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Bulgaria. In cooperation with the regional broadcasters RSI, RTR, RTS and SRF, the Swiss delegation will once again participate in the world's biggest music competition with its own song.
Switzerland will also compete in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG) is maintaining its open submission process: songs can still be submitted by anyone interested. The application period on the platform [LINK REMOVED BY ME] is open from August 20, 2026, at 10:00 AM until September 7, 2026, at 11:00 PM .
The SRG is building on its successful internal selection process of recent years and is further developing it. This process combines the assessments of a national and international expert jury with an international Eurovision Song Contest fan jury. Both are being deliberately made younger to meet the current requirements of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The process is supplemented by AI-supported analyses. The research-based component will be implemented by the new partner, puls market research.
“Our goal remains unchanged,” says Yves Schifferle, Head of Delegation Switzerland. “We want to find songs and artists that are internationally compelling and, at the same time, authentically represent Switzerland. To achieve this, we are continuously developing our processes – based on our experience, with new ideas and modern tools.” The slightly revised regulations for selecting the Swiss Eurovision entry are now available here: https://www.srf.ch/article/file/urn:srf:file:6a2a68c457206/Reglement_ESC%202027_CH_en.pdf
Two songwriting camps in the summer of 2026
The SRG is placing particular emphasis on finding artists and songs. This is due to the strategic realignment of the SUISA Songwriting Camp, which will no longer focus exclusively on the Eurovision Song Contest. Therefore, the SRG will be running two of its own camps this summer: the Eurovision Songwriting Camps Switzerland 2026 – one in Switzerland and one with an international focus.
The aim is to bring together international songwriters, artists, and producers with Swiss creatives, while simultaneously opening up access to international networks for Swiss talent. The number of places will be deliberately limited. In addition to targeted invitations, there will also be the possibility to apply for participation. This is intended to give new, unknown talents the opportunity to take part in the process.
Lasse Nymann as the new musical director
Lasse Nymann is now responsible for the expanded artist and song search. The songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist was part of the international songwriting and producing team behind "The Code" by Nemo, which won the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland in Malmö in 2024.
At the same time, Lasse Nymann knows the Swiss music scene very well. In recent years, he has regularly traveled to Switzerland for songwriting projects, including several songwriting camps such as the SUISA Songwriting Camp and the Montreux Songwriting Camp. He has collaborated with numerous Swiss creatives during this time.
“Switzerland has developed into one of the most exciting and successful Eurovision nations. I look forward to discovering new talents, songs, and creative partnerships together with SRG – both in Switzerland and beyond,” said Lasse Nymann. Yves Schifferle added: “Lasse Nymann combines Eurovision experience, modern pop expertise, and a strong international network with a genuine understanding of the Swiss music scene. It is precisely with this combination that we intend to further strengthen Switzerland’s Eurovision strategy in the future.”
Lasse Nymann is taking over from Pele Loriano, who, after twelve successful years, has decided to focus more on international projects in the future: “My time as Music Director of the Swiss delegation has been a unique journey. I am proud of what we achieved as a team for Switzerland and Eurovision Switzerland, especially Nemo’s ESC victory and the fantastic team performance at the 2025 ESC in Basel. I am very grateful to the SRG for their trust and long-standing collaboration, and I am delighted that our paths will remain closely intertwined in the future.”
Yves Schifferle thanks Pele Loriano: “Over the past twelve years, Pele Loriano has been one of the driving forces behind Switzerland’s development at the Eurovision Song Contest and a major reason for our continued international success. He deserves our sincere thanks for this. At the same time, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with him as a producer and label owner.”
All news and information about the Swiss ESC project can be found continuously at www.srf.ch/eurovision .
Four cities (Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas) have expressed interest in hosting.
The host city is expected to be decided by the end of July.
Mitch, who helps out at Sam's museum, takes us behind the scenes of LMNC's music video
Bulgaria's lyrics 'channels his cat's personality', San Marino "has all the fizz of a Capri Sun", Serbia is "what they play in hell before the demons feast on your cindered skin", and Sweden will "frighten your gran." Yep, Mark Savage is back!
(As a reminder, to prevent any confusion, this is just the opinion of the journalist who wrote the article, not some official BBC take on all the entries)
Article translated from Dutch to English:
The Eurovision Song Contest will strictly monitor political interference this year. That is according to the event's boss, Briton Martin Green, in an interview with Nieuwsuur . The director wants to do his utmost to win back countries that withdrew this year due to Israel's participation.
It is perhaps the most difficult time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest. Although Green is anything but pessimistic. According to him, the influence of complex geopolitical tensions on the Song Contest has always existed. "Every major global event experiences peaks and valleys."
Israeli campaign
But more than ever, the Song Contest – which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year – is marked by protest, boycotts, and even political interference.
Austria won the competition last year and is therefore the host this year, but the Israeli entry emerged as the winner in the public vote. That outcome was scrutinized following the revelation by investigative journalists that an Israeli government agency, which falls under the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, conducted a large-scale campaign to promote the Israeli entry.
If there is disproportionate vote solicitation again, the organization will take action, says Green. "Although we have jurors to balance the voting, we will absolutely not tolerate this type of activity. I think we may not have been strict enough in recent years."
Following last year's results and due to the war in Gaza, several participating broadcasters called for Israel to be excluded. However, Israel is participating again this year. Broadcasters in four countries—Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands —immediately announced a boycott of the festival in response. Iceland has since withdrawn as well. Iceland and the Netherlands will still broadcast the show, though not AVROTROS, but NOS/NTR.
Green wants to do everything possible to get the countries that dropped out back. He is also holding talks with the Netherlands about this. "We miss the countries and we want them back. We will do what is in our power to make that happen."
Eurovision commentator Cornald Maas, and formerly the head of the Spanish broadcaster, recently argued for excluding countries at war from the Song Contest altogether. This is similar to what happened with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which was also the year Ukraine won the festival thanks to all the support votes. However, that would mean Ukraine would not be allowed to participate.
Eurovision director Green resolutely rejects that idea: "Any proposal that would lead to the exclusion or punishment of Ukraine is out of the question for us."
He also notes that, regarding Russia, there is almost a global consensus on the measures to be taken. A consensus that is lacking when it comes to the exclusion of Israel. "And we remain a democratic membership organization of affiliated broadcasters."
Despite all the commotion, Greene hopes that the Israeli singer steps onto the stage "without fear":
Yet tensions over Israel's participation have barely subsided. Green views the current controversy as part of a much broader debate being held by participating countries. "A passionate global conversation about geopolitics. After all, should an event be a mirror of what is happening in the world? Or do these kinds of events exist to show that a better world is possible?" says Green. "There is a difference between peoples and the actions of their governments."
It is an important debate, with differing viewpoints, he notes. "But ultimately, we are also there to bring a little joy and light. There are 35 different artists from various broadcasters in different countries who are all connecting with each other. On a wonderful stage."
Better world
The first rehearsals at the Wiener Stadthalle began yesterday. Green: "The atmosphere is amazing. Let us therefore hold on to the value of this festival: a place where we bring everyone together, which shows that the world can be better. That those who choose to divide us are wrong."
The semi-finals will be held on May 12 and 14, and the final is on May 16.
The EBU have announced what online content we can expect over the next couple of weeks. As well continuing episodes of the official podcast, and A Little Bit More, content from rehearsals will be the same as last year:
• 1st Rehearsals: Reddit Live Thread, with photos released the next day
• 2nd Rehearsals: 30s video clips
This was first published by Euromix, who claimed it had been released by the EBU/ORF, though nobody seemed able to find it. However, I do now have it on good authority this is legitimate.
ESC Beat have also published it, so I'll provide a link to their article as there are a couple of time differences which in theirs make more sense, and I have used above: https://escbeat.com/2026/04/26/eurovision-2026-rehearsals-schedule-revealed/
(Note to mod: can you add Rumours/NRS flair pls)