Bulgaria haven’t always been a consistent participant at Junior Eurovision, but in their short history they’ve finished in 2nd place, which ended up giving them the opportunity to host the contest in 2015. Only 2 years later, they decided to withdraw citing broadcaster restructuring, however in 2018, it seems that the nation is not planning a return to the contest.
When questioned on Twitter whether they would return to the contest in 2018, the Bulgarian broadcaster BNT made quite a broad statement, saying, ‘at this stage we are not planning a return to Junior Eurovision.’ Not only does this state that 2018 is off the table, but it also implies that we won’t be seeing Bulgaria at Junior Eurovision anytime soon.
at this stage we are not planning a return to Junior Eurovision
— BNT Eurovision Bulgaria 🇧🇬 (@bg_eurovision) May 19, 2018
It’s a sad loss for the contest, as we’ve seen Bulgaria shine with more often than not, Top 10 finishes in the contest. Their best result was in 2014 with Krisia, Hasan & Ibrahim and their song Planet of the Children, which finished in 2nd place. Their two most recent entries both finished in 9th place.
Not only are they a valuable entrant in Junior Eurovision, but we’ve also seen in recent years a growing interest and effort in their Eurovision entries. Perhaps this is the core focus of the broadcaster, but without any formal confirmation, it’s hard to know their reasoning behind their choice to sit out from Junior Eurovision.
We’ll miss Bulgaria at the contest, and although it doesn’t look entirely hopeful we’ll see the nation again soon, never say never!
Check out their most successful, as well as their latest Junior Eurovision entry below: