The determination of the host is not the final point, it is the beginning. The final will be on May 15 next year, and on May 16 I want to have the opportunity with Mrs. Milotinova to announce that Bulgaria has done extremely successfully, achieved records, everyone who has visited us is satisfied, and the holding was at an extremely professional level. Until then, however, a lot of work awaits us, which started on Friday. This was said by the mayor of Burgas, Dimitar Nikolov, at the first press conference after the city was chosen to host “Eurovision 2027”, quoted by Nova TV. On Thursday, the seaside city won the hosting rights over Sofia, with the choice being made by Bulgarian and international experts.
The dates of the three concerts in Burgas are now clear - the semi-finals will be on May 11 and 13, and the grand finale is on May 15 - Saturday.
Nikolov said that work related to global logistics, transport connections, air connections, bus transportation, shuttles, as well as talks with many transport companies, tour operators, hoteliers, restaurateurs, and people who will be responsible for safety is ahead, so that our seaside city can welcome the huge number of visitors. “It is very important for us that all delegations that arrive in Bulgaria feel at home”, added Nikolov.
He thanked all the other cities participating in the competition. “They are excellent, their mayors, Sofia - especially”, pointed out the mayor and called for the theme “Eurovision” to be unifying. “Let us show the world that Bulgarians are united, united, creative, smiling, loving joy and life. Let us give the opportunity for a surge of emotions here, to show exceptional hospitality and let those who have never heard of Bulgaria, and those who have never come to our country, want to return to this country again. If this happens, then we have succeeded”, said the mayor of Burgas.
”The first days after Burgas was announced as the host, we were in the focus not only of the national, but also of the international media. And at this moment there is interest in our city and I am convinced that this investment in advertising time will return many times as a positive for Bulgaria. We will show that we have a country that is rich in folklore, a country with extremely serious cultural traditions, with creators not only in music, but also in other spheres of art. We have traditions that we will show and that will surprise them. Including the only place in the world where people dance on fire, which is our region. Everything that will be interesting to them will be presented in the most accessible and perfect way”, assured Dimitar Nikolov.
He said that he is fighting for the success to be phenomenal. “I will put a lot of energy into this. I know the capabilities of my team in detail and I will squeeze them like lemons. I have already stopped the team's vacations. We have a lot of work ahead of us. This is not the first time this has happened to us. The difference is that now we will do it in a very tight time frame at the beginning of the summer season and with even greater attention and coordination, because the stakes are huge and we will not allow any weaknesses”, said Nikolov.
“I expect everyone related to the business in terms of accommodation, transport, food, to be up to the event itself and I hope we do not give rise to news related to sky-high prices for apartments”, said the mayor of the seaside town. He added that he had talks with large hotel chains, as well as medium-sized hotels, and assured that no one intends to stretch prices so that this would have a negative image impact. “Let's not forget that we are the largest tourist center, with the largest bed capacity, with experience in how to welcome and serve tourists, including providing medical and administrative assistance”, said Nikolov.
Nikolov also commented that he will not engage in politics until the “Eurovision” is held. “I will be the working person who will fulfill all the requirements of the EBU and the Bulgarian National Television. I will make all the requirements applicable so that all activities can take place in Burgas faster and I will fully concentrate on ensuring that guests in Bulgaria remain as enchanted and satisfied as possible. I will only answer questions related to my work in relation to the holding of “Eurovision” and my daily mayoral duties. "The topic of politics doesn't interest me at all," Nikolov was categorical.
“We are prepared to receive more than 1,000 journalists, so this morning we toured the spaces with the mayor - to see where they could be accommodated near the production show itself, what is the distance between the press center and the production show”, said BNT Director General Milena Milotinova.
In her words, this entire gathering of media in Burgas is “a huge chance to show our country as it is - beautiful, hospitable, a country of talents and people who are ready to accept challenges and who will prove that they can make a world event, such as the biggest music event “Eurovision””.
She pointed out that the bar has been raised very high and from now on there is a lot of work to be done. “This morning the mayor and I were also around “Arena Burgas”. During the tour, we saw the heavy equipment piled up on the site that is about to be leveled so that it can be used for the mobile television stations that will come to carry out this grandiose performance”, said Milotinova.
“In Vienna this year, 320 thousand visitors were especially for “Eurovision“. This is in these two weeks, in which the events surrounding the contest are held. The atmosphere that the host city creates usually attracts a lot of tourists. Therefore, the atmosphere that the city will create is very important for the overall presentation of the country”, she added.
The General Director of BNT added that after the stage project is done, it will be seen how many of the seats will be seated and how many - standing. ”We both have a lot of time, and it is not that much. So far, we are on schedule. "In principle, the deadlines that “Eurovision“ gives for choosing a host city are until the end of August, so that everything goes according to plan. We had the desire to make this choice earlier, to give time for the administrative procedures to be carried out," Milotinova also said.