A record 36 public broadcasters will take part in the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in Burgas, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said. That is one more than in 2026.

Canada makes its debut with CBC/Radio-Canada, a full EBU member since July 2026. North Macedonia returns with MRT after four years away.

Spain's RTVE and Slovenia's RTVSLO have until December to decide whether to take part, because the issue is complex.

The contest will be held at Burgas Arena from 11 to 15 May 2027. The first semi-final is on Tuesday 11 May, the second on Thursday 13 May and the grand final on Saturday 15 May.

BNT is hosting for the first time, after DARA won the 70th contest with "Bangaranga" in Vienna in 2026. BNT also hosted Junior Eurovision in Sofia in 2015.

The entrants are Albania (RTSH), Armenia (AMPTV), Australia (SBS), Austria (ORF), Azerbaijan (İctimai), Belgium (VRT), Bulgaria (BNT), Canada (CBC/Radio-Canada) and Croatia (HRT). Next come Cyprus (CyBC), Denmark (DR), Estonia (ERR), Finland (YLE), France (FT), Georgia (GPB), Germany (ARD/SWR), Greece (ERT) and Israel (KAN). Italy (Rai), Latvia (LSM), Lithuania (LRT), Luxembourg (RTL), Malta (PBS), Moldova (TRM), Montenegro (RTCG), North Macedonia (MRT) and Norway (NRK) also take part. The list ends with Poland (TVP), Portugal (RTP), Romania (TVR), San Marino (SMRTV), Serbia (RTS), Sweden (SVT), Switzerland (SRG SSR), Ukraine (Suspilne) and the United Kingdom (BBC).

Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy and the UK go straight to the final. The other 31 entries are split between two semi-finals, and 10 songs from each go through, chosen by juries and viewers. In the final, viewers in the taking-part countries and the rest of the world vote, as do the juries of all 36 broadcasters.

The draw to decide which semi-final each country performs in will take place in Burgas in January. Tickets for nine events in all go on sale at the start of 2027. They cover the live final shows and the preview shows, which are rehearsals played to an audience. Details are at eurovision.com/tickets. Buyers must register with Eurofan, the contest's free fan programme.

In August the EBU announced new rules after its annual review and feedback from members, and the contest's governing body approved them. Performers must be 18 or older on the day of their first rehearsal. Until now the limit was 16. The EBU says it wants to protect younger people from the pressure of the contest.

Backup recordings may also not replace the live vocal or help it too much.

A new clause covers hosting. If the winner's country or region has an armed conflict, a delicate geopolitical situation or another factor that affects security, safety or stability, and the winner cannot host safely, the EBU will pick another broadcaster. That broadcaster takes on all the host's duties. The EBU says the new rules give participants more clarity and make the event safe and welcoming, without losing the spirit and fairness of the contest.

About half of the entries are chosen at national finals. More than 450 new songs and hundreds of new artists are presented each year before May. Eurovision has a total audience of 600 million people. The EBU says the contest is an instant global springboard to success, and that the songs keep being widely played after it.

From January to August 2026, the 35 songs from the contest were streamed nearly 600 million times across all music and video platforms. Sixteen of them have more than 10 million streams. The winner, "Bangaranga", has 80 million. It reached number one in the charts of 11 countries, the top five in 5 and the top 10 in 5 more.

Eurovision director Martin Green said the contest is more than a competition, because it launches careers and brings hundreds of new songs to listeners each year. He said he was glad that CBC/Radio-Canada and MRT join 34 other broadcasters in Burgas under the slogan "United by Music". Green added: "In a world that seems increasingly divided, the Contest brings audiences together through music, crossing borders, languages and cultures, and that matters more than ever."

Milena Milotinova, director general of BNT, said Bulgaria is looking forward to welcoming the performers and fans. She said BNT will work to give viewers at home, people in the arena and guests in Burgas an amazing experience. Eurovision is a global event, not just a series of concerts, she said. She believes guests will find warmth and beauty across Bulgaria and want to return.

Burgas mayor Dimitar Nikolov welcomed all the participants and said music is a language without borders. He said it is a pleasure for him, his team and the people of Burgas to be part of the event, and the city awaits them with excitement and hospitality. Nikolov said: "We await you in Burgas – where the sea meets music, and Europe finds one more reason to be together!"

Hotels in Burgas and Pomorie are already offering rooms for the contest at prices several times higher than usual, we reported in October. At a five-star hotel in Pomorie, six nights in May reportedly cost €1,100, while the price for contest week reached €3,750.

In the coming months the EBU will announce the stage design, the presenters and the side events in Burgas.