Macedonia is officially returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027 after a five year absence, bringing the country back to Europe’s biggest music competition. The return was confirmed by Macedonian Radio Television, which announced that the country will once again have a representative on the Eurovision stage next year. The 71st Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, in May 2027, following Bulgaria’s victory at the 2026 contest in Vienna. For Macedonian Eurovision fans, the announcement marks the end of a long break after the country’s last participation in 2022.
The return is also being presented as an opportunity for Macedonia to change the way it approaches the competition. MRT Director Zoran Ristoski has announced that the broadcaster wants to move away from what he described as a non transparent selection process. The public is expected to receive clearer information about how the representative and song are selected, including why a particular artist is ultimately chosen to represent the country. The exact selection format has not yet been announced, meaning fans will still have to wait to find out whether the next Macedonian Eurovision entry will be selected through a public competition, an internal process or another model.
Macedonia has a long history with Eurovision, officially making its debut in 1998 with Vlado Janevski and the song “Ne Zori, Zoro.” Over the years, the country has been represented by some of its best known singers, including Toše Proeski, Elena Risteska, Karolina Gočeva, Kaliopi and Tamara Todevska. Todevska achieved Macedonia’s best result so far in 2019, finishing seventh in the Grand Final with “Proud” and winning the jury vote. Other memorable performances include Kaliopi’s “Crno i Belo,” which reached 13th place in the 2012 final, while her return in 2016 once again became one of the country’s most recognizable Eurovision appearances.
The country’s most recent appearance came in 2022, when Andrea represented Macedonia with “Circles.” She finished 11th in the second semi final with 76 points and did not qualify for the Grand Final. Macedonia then stayed away from the competition for the following four editions, with financial considerations among the reasons cited for the absence. Despite not competing, Eurovision remained familiar to Macedonian audiences, and the country continued following the competition through its public broadcaster. The decision to return therefore represents a significant change after several years away from the Eurovision stage.
The 2027 contest will give Macedonia a new opportunity to introduce an artist and song to an international audience, but the country’s representative has not yet been selected. The delegation in Burgas will be led by Jana Burčeska and Aleksandra Jovanovska, while the selection of the performer who will actually compete remains ahead. Eurovision 2027 will be held at Arena Burgas, with the semi finals scheduled for May 11 and 13 and the Grand Final on May 15. For Macedonian fans, the countdown has now officially begun, with the biggest question still open: who will get the chance to bring Macedonia back to the Eurovision stage?
