Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026

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Bulgaria in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2026
Eurovision Song Contest 2026
Participating broadcaster Bulgarian National Television (BNT)
CountryFlag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
Selection processNational final
Selection dateArtist: 31 January 2026
Song: 28 February 2026
Participation chronology
◄2022 •2026

Bulgaria is set to be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, returning after a three-year absence. The Bulgarian participating broadcaster, Bulgarian National Television (BNT), will select its entry through a national final.

Contents

Background

Prior to the 2026 contest, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Bulgaria fourteen times since its first entry in 2005. Its best result in the contest was second, which it achieved in 2017 with the song "Beautiful Mess" performed by Kristian Kostov. To this point, it had achieved another two top five placings at the contest: in 2007 when "Water" performed by Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov placed fifth and in 2016 when "If Love Was a Crime" performed by Poli Genova placed fourth. In 2022, Bulgaria failed to qualify for the final with the song "Intention" performed by the Intelligent Music Project. [1]

As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, BNT organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster has used various methods to select its entry in the past, including the national final Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya” between 2005 and 2013 (used only to select the song in 2010 and 2013, with the artists internally selected), as well as full internal selections between 2016 and 2018, in 2021 and 2022. [2] Bulgaria did not participate in the contest in 2014, 2015, 2019, and between 2023 and 2025; its most recent absence was originally motivated by financial constraints. [3] On 31 October 2025, BNT announced it would return to the contest in 2026. [4] The following day, Fakti.bg  [ bg ] reported that the broadcaster would organise a national final to select its entry for the contest; [5] the organisation of a national final was confirmed on 18 November 2025, but it was not specified whether it would concern only the artist or both the artist and the song. [6]

Before Eurovision

National final

On 18 November 2025, BNT signed an agreement with Prophon to jointly select the competing artists for its national final, with acts invited based on data provided by Prophon on the top 40 most broadcast Bulgarian artists on radio and television over the past eight months. The competition will be held in January and February 2026. [6]

On 30 December 2025, BNT announced the 15 artists that would compete in the Nation Final. BNT also announced that there would be three shows. Show 1 would take place on 24 January 2025, Show 2 on 31 January 2025, and Show 3 on 28 February 2025. [7]

The fifteen artists competing in the National Final(s)

Show One

Show One will take place on 24 January 2025, all fifteen artists will compete. The results will be decided by 5 jurors ranking song's from 1-5 points. The audience will be able to cast a vote via BNT's website, the favorite from the online vote will get 15 points and so on until the least favorite which will receive 1. After the results are decided the top 7 will go to the second show. If there is a tie for 7th place, both acts will go to the second show. [7]

Artist(s)
DARA
Dara Ekimova
DIA
Elizbet
Fiki
Innerglow
Kerana & the Cosmonauts
Mihaela Marinova
Mihaela Fivela
Molets
MONA
Preyah
Roksana
VALL
Veniamin
TelevoteTBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBA
Jury VoteTBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBA
TotalTBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBATBA

Show Two

Show Two will take place on 31 January 2025, with 7 or 8 acts will compete. Five jurors would also rank songs from 1-5 points. The audience will once again be able to vote via BNT's website, the favorite from the online vote will receive 7 points and so on until the least favorite which will get 1 point. After the votes are combined the act with the most points earns the right to represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. [7]

Online voteAct 1Act 2Act 3Act 4Act 5Act 6Act 7Act 8?
TBATBATBATBATBATBATBAAn eighth act is not guaranteed.
Jury voteTBATBATBATBATBATBATBAAn eighth act is not guaranteed.
TotalTBATBATBATBATBATBATBAAn eighth act is not guaranteed.

Show Three (Final)

Show Three or the Final will take place on 28 February 2026, only the winner of Show Two will participate, they'll also perform three songs solely created for Eurovision and only one will get chosen. There would be 10 jurors this time that will vote each song from 1-3 points, their points would be combined into a set of 3-1points that will be awarded to each song separately. The audience would be able to vote via BNT's website and the online vote would be aggregated into a set of 1-3 points that will be awarded to each song separately. The song with the most amount of points wins and goes to Eurovision. [7]

Online VoteSong oneSong twoSong three
TBATBATBA
Jury VoteTBATBATBA
TotalTBATBATBA

References

  1. ↑ "Bulgaria". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  2. ↑ Granger, Anthony (2 November 2025). "Bulgaria: National Selection to be Organised for Eurovision 2026?". Eurovoix. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  3. ↑ Hussein, Paola (19 October 2022). "Евровизия без България догодина, на БНТ не й стигат парите" [Eurovision without Bulgaria next year, BNT doesn't have enough money] (in Bulgarian). 24 Chasa . Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "България се завръща на „Евровизия"" [Bulgaria returns to Eurovision]. Bulgarian National Television (BNT). 31 October 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "Завръща ли се България на „Евровизия" тази година?" [Is Bulgaria returning to Eurovision this year?]. Fakti.bg (in Bulgarian). 1 November 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  6. 1 2 Nikolova, Tsanka (18 November 2025). "България се завръща на 'Евровизия': БНТ определя регламента за избор на изпълнители" [Bulgaria returns to Eurovision: BNT determines the regulations for selecting performers]. BNT Novini (in Bulgarian). BNT. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Farren, Neil (30 December 2025). "🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Eurovision 2026 National Selection Artists Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
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