Nesebar welcomed an evaluation committee that toured the town's sports facilities and reviewed the municipality's investment plans — all part of the campaign for the title "Black Sea Capital of Sport 2027." The committee was shown what the municipality has to offer: nearly 30 active sports clubs, the modern Nesebar Arena, a new swimming pool, and experience hosting international events such as the start of the Giro d'Italia.

A final decision on the bid is expected by the end of the year. The European sports awards will be presented in Brussels in December, and organizers hope that is when the first holder of the "Black Sea Capital of Sport" title will be announced. Nesebar, however, is also looking further ahead — the municipality wants to host the first Black Sea Games, bringing together countries from the region. The idea is for the event to symbolize partnership among the Black Sea nations once the war in Ukraine has ended.

At the heart of the bid lies the connection between sport, tourism, nature and well-developed infrastructure — something that has been built here over many years. The climate and proximity to the sea allow water sports and outdoor activities to take place for most of the year. And the closeness of Sunny Beach, Nesebar, Sveti Vlas, Ravda and Obzor provides an enormous bed base, capable of simultaneously accommodating athletes, coaches, delegations, organizers and spectators. That gives the municipality a way to attract tourists outside the summer season, turning sport into a reason for people to visit in spring, autumn and winter as well.

It was exactly this strategy that Nesebar Mayor Nikolay Dimitrov emphasized to the committee. According to him, sport is not just about competition. It is an investment in young people, in social stability and in the future of the region.

"It is a pleasure for us today to present our bid and to welcome the evaluation committee to whom we are presenting our candidacy for Black Sea Capital of Sport. The Municipality of Nesebar has a strong social policy, and it is directed toward sport and various related activities. That is why we took on this challenge — to enter this category. This is also where the future of the Municipality of Nesebar lies, along with all the other initiatives we will present to the committee. There are many sports clubs here — amateur as well as professional. Our goal is to showcase and engage young people so they can take up sport. Whether they go on to compete at a professional level or simply play for themselves, sport instills discipline and organization, and that will help them build themselves as individuals in life going forward. The Municipality of Nesebar has experience organizing international-scale sporting events," said Nikolay Dimitrov.

The mayor also spoke about another advantage — the Black Sea coast's climate, which is especially favorable for sports training in winter.

"I told the esteemed committee that the climate along the Black Sea coast, especially in winter, is favorable for training sports clubs across a wide range of disciplines. That is why we are working to restore all the sports facilities we have, the ones that existed here many years ago, so there is somewhere to practice sport. We all remember that, in the past, many teams used to come here in winter for training camps. That, too, is tied to sports tourism — one of the types of tourism the municipality is developing. We also run various initiatives with the Combined Children's Complex and school championships, aimed at engaging all the young people living in the municipality so they can grow up, as I said, into responsible and disciplined individuals. It's a pleasure for us that representatives of nearly every sports club in the municipality are here today, so that we can present our bid together," he added.

Dimitrov also told the committee about the municipality's plans to renovate sports facilities in the various towns and villages.

"We continue to develop our sports infrastructure. We've already shown part of it. We have grounds in Ravda and in Obzor that need to be restored. We also have large sports grounds, as well as new small playing fields currently being prepared. We're waiting for the paperwork to be finalized so the certificate of use can be issued. Here, on the Northern Slope, we also have a project for several playing fields. Alongside the cultural heritage we have in Nesebar's Old Town, the municipality is also developing its sports facilities. I think this will be a strong setup and a great opportunity for the town — a symbiosis between cultural heritage, sport and all the activities we have planned. Our partnership with the National Sports Academy and other sports academies in this field is also important to us, helping us support sport with both talent and coaches. We also have initiatives in the field of water sports. We will soon be opening the indoor municipal swimming pool, which I think we will also present in our presentation," Nikolay Dimitrov concluded.

One of Nesebar's strongest assets is its experience with international sport. In May 2026, the Giro d'Italia started right from the Old Town — an event that will put the municipality's organizational capabilities on a world stage. The first stage of the legendary cycling race set off from Nesebar and followed a 147-kilometer route to Burgas. It required security, logistics, coordination between institutions, care for the participants, and handling enormous interest from around the world. Hosting the Giro d'Italia was presented to the committee as proof that the municipality is capable of hosting top-tier sporting events.

Besides its organizational track record, the guests also saw what the municipality has to offer in terms of facilities. A key venue is the multifunctional Nesebar Arena, opened in 2023. It can host training and competitions in handball, volleyball, basketball, tennis, rhythmic gymnastics and futsal. A dividing curtain allows the hall to be split into two separate playing areas, while movable stands provide flexibility when organizing events. This way, the arena serves professional clubs, youth academies, and people who simply play sport for themselves alike.

The other pillar is the Nesebar Stadium complex. The main stadium holds about 7,000 people and has training areas alongside it, plus three five-a-side pitches with a new drainage system and modern artificial turf. There are also medical rooms, changing rooms, a VIP area and parking — in other words, the complex is ready for both official tournaments and long training camps.

Training camps are a key part of the plan to bring back winter sports tourism. In the past, many teams, including football clubs, used to come to Nesebar and the southern coast for training because of the mild climate. The municipality wants to revive that tradition by renovating facilities and building new pitches connected to the area's huge hotel capacity. The goal is to extend the season with groups coming for training and tournaments.

A new addition to the infrastructure is the indoor municipal swimming pool in the Cherno More neighborhood. Construction is in its final stage and will enable swimming training, club activities, and year-round public access. The pool is part of a larger sports zone covering about 17 decares, which includes an outdoor gym, a tennis court, volleyball and basketball courts, and a football pitch.

The investment doesn't stop at Nesebar itself. Sveti Vlas has a stadium and outdoor playing fields, and Venid Beach has long been part of the international beach volleyball calendar. In 2026, it hosted a Beach Pro Tour tournament with around 170 athletes. That makes Sveti Vlas one of the few places in Bulgaria where the luxury of the tourism product is combined with beaches suitable for international sporting events.

Obzor has its own stadium, tennis courts and a school sports ground. Ravda maintains a football facility and is now building a new pitch along the seafront promenade. The municipality is also planning other venues, such as one on the Northern Slope in Nesebar. In this way, the region's sports map keeps growing and is not limited to the administrative center alone.

Sport has also made its way into schools. In recent years, new gymnasiums have been built in Gyulyovtsa and Orizare, so that every municipal school now has an indoor facility. Lyuben Karavelov Secondary School in Nesebar also has well-developed sports infrastructure, and new sports areas are being built at other schools. The goal is for children to have access to sport starting from their school years.

The sea itself is a resource that cannot be artificially created. Nesebar offers excellent conditions for sailing, swimming, SUP, canoeing and kayaking, and other water sports. The base of the Vasil Levski National Sports Academy provides conditions for professional training and preparation, and the partnership with the academy gives access to talent and coaches. In 2026, the base hosted a camp for people with disabilities, in which water sports served as a tool for social inclusion.

But the municipality's greatest asset is its people, not its facilities. Around 30 sports organizations operate in Nesebar, spread across six towns and villages. Football is the most popular sport, but many other disciplines are represented as well:

  • basketball
  • volleyball
  • handball
  • karate
  • kickboxing
  • combat sports
  • sailing
  • water sports
  • athletics
  • rhythmic gymnastics
  • sports dancing
  • motorcycle sport

Thousands of young people are growing up in these clubs, with the municipality providing them with financial and organizational support.

The municipality's focus is not just on elite sport — youth and children's sport is a priority. The idea is for children to get used to physical activity from an early age, with sports clubs serving as important partners in the municipality's social policy. The philosophy is simple: not every child needs to become a champion, but every child should have access to sport.

The achievements of local athletes are already visible on the international stage — from European titles in karate to medals in sailing and successes in sports dancing. The basketball teams of Nesebar and Sveti Vlas compete at the national level, and combat-sports tournaments here draw foreign participants. All of this inspires the younger generation and proves that top-level sport can start from a local field or hall.

The municipality also cares for socially included groups. Nesebar has an adapted sports club that offers swimming and other activities for children with special needs. For 2027, plans include free training sessions for grassroots sport, initiatives for people with disabilities, and programs for people over 55. Equal access to sport lies at the core of the entire bid.

The town also offers many open spaces for physical activity that aren't necessarily professional facilities — parks, seafront promenades, walking paths, skate areas. These allow