On Sofia, Burgas, and the race to host Eurovision 2027.
Bulgaria gained a historic win with its first ever Eurovision victory. That’s not an exaggeration — an event at this scale is a rare opportunity for us Bulgarians to welcome our big European family like never before. We realize it completely and will make sure you feel exceptional here.
At the heat of the city bidding
We are now at the heat of the city bidding, just weeks or even days away from the final decision. This battle of the cities is more than just a competition over who will host the Eurovision Song Contest. It shows how different the two finalists are, and at the same time crystallizes the image modern Bulgaria should strive toward. Because it’s still far away from being there.
Back to the immediate aftermath of the win in May — Sofia seemed like the obvious choice. The capital and biggest city in Bulgaria, it has the biggest arena and the busiest airport. But this is not solely about logistics. The mayor of Burgas took the spotlight by being the first one to state that Burgas is ready to host. It was days later when Sofia also announced the obvious, that it would participate in the bidding.
Bread and Salt
So Burgas’s boldness was at first considered a bit unserious — to go so confidently against the capital, in a competition to welcome what could be the biggest event in Bulgaria for years. But the story of Burgas in recent years actually backs up its ambition — Burgas has been in the news about its rapid development and big projects quite often.
What speaks even better than statistics and ratings, however, is how it feels to spend a weekend in this town. It’s pure relaxation for someone who drove here from Sofia — the Sea Garden, stretching along the endless beach, well maintained, beautiful and refreshingly green. Or the recently reconstructed narrow streets in the city center with small flower corners and lines of trees. The new and efficient public transportation, the good connections to the ever-loud and over-the-top Sunny Beach, or to the picturesque historical towns of Sozopol and Nessebar.
Burgas is a town which has realized that the sea is its bread and salt, and has embodied that realization in an ambitious and clever way. Every coastal town has a head start — the sea is a window to the world in all senses possible. It’s a victory that doesn’t have to struggle in order to win.
Dare to be bigger
While the narrative around Burgas has been telling a consistently positive story of success, Sofia is a bit different. Of course, it has all the success you could expect from a capital — major business hub and the highest salaries in Bulgaria by far. But whether because of its rapid development, or because of the scale of a city of over a million inhabitants, the big projects, the urban spaces and the overall appearance of Sofia have a rushed, not awe-inspiring feeling to them.
However, in recent years, the city has been more active than ever, realizing that in our modern world, a landlocked city could be as free as only a big harbour hub could have been a couple of centuries ago — it only needs to dare to dream a bit bigger.
Sofia is a fast-paced city with its own chaotic character. There are the small cafes in the historical center, “outsourcing” western aesthetics while not being there physically, which shapes their own face. There are the restaurants in the inner yards of old buildings, which are the real charm of Sofia’s gastronomical scene — the way each time they feel like a discovery.
At the same time, there are some very badly maintained spaces, even in the center, almost in ruins. They bear the important memories of abandonment and failure, which, fortunately, never managed to steal the pulse of the city.
I feel this battle
The battle of land versus sea here is starting to look like one of effort and adaptation, versus natural potential and ambition. As a child of the high and somewhat mountainous region of the capital, I feel this battle. I wonder whether the sea breeze and the vastness of the endless water are the invisible fuel that a person from the land doesn’t have a choice but to find within.
Anyway. We are up for a great Eurovision! Landlocked or on the Black Sea coast, it’s going to be Bulgarian in a rare state of mind — daring to dream of being the best.
