Just two days ago, Bulgaria triumphed at Eurovision for the first time in its history, and it became clear that next year we will host the largest song contest in Europe. Even before the emotions subsided, lively debates began – will this be a profitable move for the country or an expensive whim at a time of serious economic challenges? The state and the BNT have already announced that they are starting preparations, seeing the hosting as a huge opportunity, and the largest cities in the country have expressed readiness to host the event. At the same time, critics ask: does it make sense to allocate serious public resources to a show when so many urgent problems await us?
Who is right and who is wrong? To find a more objective answer, it is most logical to look at what the experience of the latest Eurovision hosts shows.
Vienna 2026: "spectacular, but economical"
The organization of Eurovision 2026 in Vienna is guided by the motto of the public broadcaster ORF – "spectacular, but economical". The financial model is based on an official study by the economic institute ECO Austria, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism. The total budget for the event is around 36 million euros, which includes the guaranteed contribution of 5 million euros from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), as well as the participation of national public broadcasters. The main part of the burden is borne by the city of Vienna, which approved an investment ceiling of 22.6 million euros to support ORF with technical production, logistics, and the construction of accompanying zones such as "Eurovision Village", "Euroclub", and "EuroCafé". Ultimately, the net cost for the state and the municipality reached approximately 31 million euros.
Vienna won the hosting rights in competition with Innsbruck mainly due to the existing infrastructure and lower financial risk. The city uses the multifunctional "Wiener Stadthalle" with a capacity of up to 16,000 spectators, which already hosted the contest in 2015 and possesses much of the necessary equipment. This eliminates the need for large new investments and noticeably reduces costs for taxpayers.
Although direct revenues from tickets and sponsors do not fully cover the budget, the economic effect for the country is highly positive. According to the ECO Austria analysis, the event generated about 57 million euros thanks to approximately 88,000 additional visitors – tourists, fans, and delegations. About 52 million euros of this amount remained directly in the Austrian economy, mainly in the hotel industry, catering, public transport, and retail.
Official calculations show that every 1 euro invested brings about 1.70 euros of added value. Thus, Vienna ranks among the hosts with the highest return on investment in Eurovision.
Basel 2025: a boost for local tourism
Basel won the race for hosting ahead of Geneva, relying on its strategic location at the crossroads between Switzerland, Germany, and France, as well as the modern infrastructure of the "MCH Messe Basel" congress center. A serious argument was also the stable financial support from local authorities.
The Canton of "Basel-Stadt" approved an official budget of 35 million Swiss francs (about 37 million euros). The funds were directed toward infrastructure, security, and accompanying events around the contest – fan zones, a cultural program, and improvements in transport organization.
During Eurovision, more than 190,000 people visited the official "Eurovision Village". Financial reports registered a noticeable increase in hotel occupancy and retail turnover throughout the tri-border region. Although political debates about the use of public money did not subside, local authorities reported a positive local economic effect and significant added value for businesses.
Malmö 2024: a net benefit for the city and the region
Malmö was chosen as host primarily because of its successful experience in 2013, the compact and modern "Malmö Arena", and the excellent connection to Copenhagen via the Öresund Bridge. These factors allowed for the optimization of logistics and security costs compared to Stockholm.
The city invested about 4.5 million euros directly in the security of the event, and another 2 million euros were added to the initial budget in connection with the increased risk profile. Separately, 580,000 euros were allocated for "Eurovision Village", 160,000 euros for communication campaigns, and 290,000 euros for decorations and volunteer initiatives.
The total tourist turnover during the contest reached 38.5 million euros. 159,680 visits were recorded in the official zones, and 51,430 foreign tourists arrived from 80 countries. The final balance was clearly in favor of Malmö – the economic effect is estimated at about 38.5 million euros in net benefit for the local economy, plus approximately 5.5 million euros in revenue for neighboring Copenhagen, according to data from the Malmö Department of Commerce and Tourism and analyses by "Cross-Border Magazine".
Liverpool 2023: three times more revenue than costs
Liverpool won the national bid for hosting, outperforming Glasgow. The city convinced the jury with its prestigious status as a UNESCO "City of Music", its strong cultural identity, and the suitable infrastructure of the "M&S Bank Arena".
Total organizational costs are estimated at around 24 million British pounds (approximately 27.5 million euros). Funding was shared between the city council, the UK government, and the BBC, which reduced the individual risk for each party.
The economic effect was impressive. According to "Mastercard" data, the total boost to the local economy reached 55 million pounds (about 63 million euros). Restaurants reported an 11% increase in turnover, and bars – 6%. Ultimately, revenues nearly tripled the costs incurred, making Liverpool one of the most successful hosts of the contest in recent years.
Turin 2022: advertising effect of over 100 million euros
Turin defeated Milan and Rome in the battle for hosting, thanks to the high-tech "PalaOlimpico" arena, the city's rich experience in organizing major sports and cultural events (including the 2006 Winter Olympics), and the willingness of local authorities to invest purposefully in the project.
Total costs for Eurovision 2022 were around 14–15 million euros, provided by the municipality and the Piedmont region. The event brought a direct, indirect, and induced economic effect of 22.8 million euros – mainly through tourism, services, and additional employment.
Even more impressive is the advertising effect: the value of international media exposure for Turin is estimated at 66 million euros – a sum the city would have had to pay if it wanted to achieve the same visibility through traditional advertising campaigns. Thus, the combined economic and media impact exceeded 100 million euros. According to analyses, every 1 euro spent by tourists generated about 2.08 euros in the local economy – a clear sign of a highly positive result.
What do the numbers show and what does this mean for Bulgaria?
A review of the latest editions of Eurovision shows that the economic logic of the contest is far from exhausted by the question of "whether we win or lose on the budget sheet". In most cases, the direct costs of the state and municipalities are compensated – and often many times over – by the created economic activity and the long-term advertising value for the city and the country.
The trend is more than clear: the contest is becoming a tool for tourism and economic activation, in which the greatest "profit" is often not in the immediate budget surplus, but in the sustainable effect on the visibility, image, and attractiveness of the destination. The conditions for success are careful planning, use of existing infrastructure, and transparency of expenses.
And will Bulgaria manage to extract maximum benefit from hosting the largest song contest in Europe? The answer depends on our preparation – on whether we will view Eurovision as an expense or as an investment in the future image and economy of the country.