George Perris to Represent Cyprus at Eurovision Song Contest 2027

Cyprus has become the first nation to lock in its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, tapping multilingual pop singer George Perris for the Black Sea city stage in Burgas. The announcement, confirmed by Cypriot broadcaster CyBC on Wednesday, November 4, marks the third year Cyprus has kicked off the upcoming contest season by naming its artist ahead of the pack.

For the first time in over a decade, however, the artist will not be carrying an internally selected track. CyBC announced alongside the artist reveal that the country will return to a televised national final to select its song, a format the island nation has bypassed since 2015. All Cypriot entries since 2017 have been selected internally.

Perris Secures Selection Through Expert Evaluation Committees

Perris was chosen through an evaluation process organized by CyBC, drawing on assessments from both national and international expert committees. His career includes a selection for the Grammy Recording Academy Global Spin series in December 2021, and he recently became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, focusing on combatting violence against children. The French Ministry of Culture also awarded him the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

The 71st edition of the contest will take place at Arena Burgas in Bulgaria. The three live shows are scheduled for May, with the first semi-final on Tuesday, May 11, the second semi-final on Thursday, May 13, and the grand final on Saturday, May 15, 2027.

Song Submissions and the Return of the National Final

With the performer secured, CyBC has shifted focus to the music itself. Composers, lyricists, and songwriters from Cyprus and abroad are invited to submit original entries through the broadcaster’s dedicated online platform. The submission window closes on Sunday, December 13.

The public will regain a direct voice in the entry through a televised song-only national final. Shortlisted compositions emerging from the broadcaster’s evaluation process will be performed during a special live television broadcast on CyBC. The final winning track will be decided by a split system combining public voting and a professional jury vote equally at 50% each.

Cyprus debuted in the contest in Dublin in 1981 with the pop group Island and the uptempo ballad Monika. Across 42 participations, the country has never won the trophy, though it secured its best result to date in Lisbon 2018 when Eleni Foureira finished second with the dance-floor anthem Fuego. At the most recent contest in Vienna, Cyprus competed with Antigoni’s grand final crowd-pleaser JALLA.

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