BURGAS 2027 EXPLAINED
Eurovision 2027 rules
The public rules for Burgas confirm important changes and clarify how songs, artists, juries, audience voting and qualification work in the 71st Eurovision Song Contest.
Eurovision 2027 rules at a glance
Minimum artist age: 18 on the day of the first rehearsal.
Maximum song length: 3 minutes.
Maximum performers on stage: 6.
Release threshold: the song must not have been publicly released or performed before 1 September 2026.
Language: entries may be performed in any language.
Song eligibility
Entries must be original and must not infringe third-party rights. The submitted song must be the same song performed on the Eurovision stage, and it cannot run longer than three minutes. For the 2027 edition, the public release/performance threshold is 1 September 2026.
Artist eligibility: the age limit is now 18
One of the clearest changes for 2027 is the minimum age. Every competing artist must be at least 18 years old by the day of their first rehearsal. A maximum of six artists can appear on stage for an entry, and an artist can represent only one country in the Contest.
Juries and audience voting
Each participating broadcaster appoints a seven-member national jury of music professionals. Jury and audience voting each create rankings that award the familiar 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points to the ten highest-ranked songs.
Viewers in participating countries cannot vote for their own entry. Eligible audiences outside the participating countries can vote through the Rest of the World vote, which is treated as an additional audience voting set.
Semi-Final qualification
The public 2027 rules confirm that both National Jury Voting and Audience Voting are part of Semi-Final qualification. Ten entries qualify from each Semi-Final. If reliable audience voting cannot be established in a participating country, that country's jury result can be used instead.
Grand Final and ties
The Grand Final combines National Jury points with Audience Voting, including the Rest of the World. The EBU determines the weighting under the approved rules. If a tie needs to be broken, the entry with the stronger overall audience ranking is placed higher.
Lead vocals must be live
The 2027 audio rules clarify that the lead singer or singers must perform the main melody live. Backing tracks and pre-recorded elements can be used within the rules, but they cannot replace or improperly support the live lead vocal carrying the main melody.
Hosting safeguards
The 2027 rules also clarify that a winning broadcaster may be unable to host the next Contest when armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation or another serious issue materially affects safety, security or stability. In that situation, the EBU can appoint an alternative Host Broadcaster.
What can still change?
The public summary establishes the framework, but some operational details — such as specific audience voting methods, limits and implementation mechanics — may still be reviewed before the live shows. Song Contest Radar will separate later operational updates from the core rules confirmed here.
Official source
This guide summarizes the EBU's public rules rather than replacing them. For the formal wording, read the official Eurovision 2027 Rules of the Contest ↗.