Non-show days
Burgas Non-Show Days: What to Do Between Shows
Three live shows run across contest week, which leaves two days without one. Almost nothing is written about them. Here is a concrete plan for both.
The short version
Shows are confirmed for 11, 13 and 15 May 2027, which leaves the 12th and 14th free. The EBU and BNT confirmed this schedule with the host city announcement.
Because those two days sit in the middle of a heavily booked week, most visitors arrive with no plan for them. That is the gap this page fills: three concrete destinations and the transport thinking to go with each.
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Why the 12th and 14th are free
The EBU confirmed shows on 11, 13 and 15 May 2027, a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday pattern, which leaves the 12th and 14th free either side of the middle show.
| Day | Event | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 11 May 2027 | Confirmed by the EBU |
| Wednesday | No show, confirmed free | Confirmed by the EBU |
| Thursday | 13 May 2027 | Confirmed by the EBU |
| Friday | No show, confirmed free | Confirmed by the EBU |
| Saturday | 15 May 2027 | Confirmed by the EBU |
A day in Nessebar Old Town
A UNESCO World Heritage peninsula old town on the coast north of Burgas, with layered Thracian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine history and no cars inside it. Our first choice for either free day.
It works whatever the weather is doing, it is close enough to the arena side of Burgas for an easy day trip, and it is genuinely quiet outside the mid-morning coach window. The full guide, including distances, the causeway walk and when to go for fewer crowds, is on Nessebar Old Town.
A day in Burgas itself
The host city has its own attractions within walking distance of the centre: the Sea Garden, the sandy city beach beneath it, the Flora exhibition centre area, and the covered market.
- The Sea Garden. A long public park running along the clifftop above the sea, the city's main green space and a pleasant walking route between the centre and the beach.
- The city beach. A sandy beach directly below the Sea Garden, reached by paths and steps down from the park. It shares the same cold-sea, early-season limits as the rest of the coast in May.
- The Flora exhibition centre area. A park and exhibition ground west of the centre, built around horticultural displays, a quieter and greener stop than the seafront.
- The covered market. A working city market rather than a tourist one, useful for fruit, snacks and a sense of Burgas as a working port city rather than a resort.
A day in Burgas has the shortest transport chain of the three options here: no drive out and back, no dependency on a coastal bus, and it is where you will already be for the show days either side of it if you are staying centrally.
Sozopol, the quieter day trip south
Sozopol is an old town of wooden houses on the coast south of Burgas, smaller and quieter than Nessebar. It suits a full day rather than a quick half-day, because it sits further from the arena side of the city.
Where Nessebar has the UNESCO listing and the coach parties that come with it, Sozopol is the calmer version of the same idea: old lanes, wooden National Revival houses, a working fishing harbour, and noticeably fewer visitors on an ordinary day. It is the better choice if you want the old-town experience without the crowd. If you are weighing it as a base rather than a day trip, see staying in Sozopol.
The beach reality in May
Whichever day you pick, do not build it entirely around the beach. Early May on this coast is shoulder season, not swimming season, and a good share of beach infrastructure is not fully open yet. The full breakdown of what to expect and what to pack is on Sunny Beach weather in May.
Evening logistics if you are moving between towns
If a non-show day takes you away from where you are staying, plan the trip home before you leave. Coastal bus services thin out well before a late dinner or an evening out finishes.
This is the same last-transport problem covered in depth for show nights, and it applies just as much on a non-show day if you have driven or bussed to Nessebar, Sozopol or anywhere else away from your base. Decide your return leg, whether that is a booked taxi, a private transfer or the last scheduled bus, before you set off rather than after dinner. The full argument, and why it matters most after dark, is on getting to Arena Burgas.
Common questions
- When are the Eurovision 2027 non-show days?
- 12 and 14 May 2027, confirmed by the EBU and BNT with the host city announcement: the two days between the three live shows on 11, 13 and 15 May.
- What can I do in Burgas itself on a non-show day?
- The Sea Garden along the seafront, the sandy city beach beneath it, the area around the Flora exhibition centre, and the covered market for a working city’s version of a morning out, all within walking distance of the centre.
- Is Sozopol worth a day trip during Eurovision week?
- Yes, if you want a quieter old town than Nessebar. It sits further from the arena side of Burgas than Nessebar does, so it suits a day with no evening commitment rather than a quick half-day.
- Can I spend a non-show day at the beach?
- You can, but early May is not reliably beach weather on this coast and a good share of beach infrastructure is not fully open yet. Plan the beach as an option, not the whole day.
- What is the biggest mistake people make on non-show days?
- Travelling between towns without checking how they get back in the evening. Coastal bus services thin out after early evening, well before contest-week nightlife or a late dinner finishes.