BNT Director General, Milena Milotinova on Eurovision: Hosting the Contest Is a Large-Scale Project and a Long-Term Investment in the Economy

The Bulgarian National Television is holding a working meeting with the mayors of the cities that have expressed interest in bidding to host Eurovision Song Contest 2027 — Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas.

During the meeting, organisers are presenting the key requirements that a host city must meet in order to stage the contest.

Milena Milotinova, Director General of BNT:

"BNT is the host broadcaster of this spectacular event, which is one of the largest live music events in the world. Eurovision 2026 achieved viewing figures more than twice the average audience share — up 42% overall and nearly 55% among young people aged under 24. Audience shares reached 50% in many of the countries broadcasting Eurovision; in some countries, such as Finland, the audience share was 92%, while in Sweden it reached 85%.

These figures show the scale of the event, not only on television but also across social media and digital platforms including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Official Eurovision content generated more than 2.75 billion views throughout the season, from January to May 2026.

The host country, Austria, recorded its highest-ever Eurovision audience, with more than 4.4 million viewers. Eurovision’s TikTok account has surpassed four million followers and 870 million views. For the first time, Eurovision content on Instagram generated more than one billion views during this edition of the contest."

Speaking about the host city experience, Milotinova said that Vienna welcomed nearly 320,000 visitors from 75 countries during Eurovision 2026.

Almost 100,000 people attended concerts, rehearsals and television broadcasts, while city-wide Eurovision-related events attracted a further 219,000 visitors.

Milotinova stressed that BNT was grateful for the Bulgarian government's swift commitment to support the country's hosting preparations.

"The host city plays a crucial role, but it also carries significant responsibility. Eurovision host cities are never alone, just as the host broadcaster is never alone. We have the full support of the European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision and the Bulgarian government."

She explained that the host broadcaster makes the decisions, including the selection of the host city, in partnership with the European Broadcasting Union.

"These decisions are taken following a detailed assessment of the submitted bids and on-site visits to candidate cities. Those visits are conducted by representatives of both the EBU and the host broadcaster."

Milotinova concluded by emphasising that Eurovision is not merely a seasonal event but a long-term investment in the country's economy, given the enormous scale and international reach of the competition.