Bulgaria Wins Eurovision in its 70th Edition

Dara Bulgarian actress who won Eurovision Song Contest, holds the trophy in Austria.

Bulgaria Wins Eurovision in its 70th Edition

Dara, representing Bulgaria and winner of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, holds the trophy during the grand final in Vienna, Austria, May 17, 2026. Reuters - Bulgaria won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest with Dara's energetic performance of the opening song, "Bangaranga."

Dara beat out 24 other contestants in the grand final on Saturday in Vienna. The song's catchy rhythms and tightly choreographed dance moves were a hit with both viewers and national juries. This is Bulgaria's first-ever Eurovision victory.

After a week of preparations, teams from 25 countries took to the stage at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle to compete for the continent’s pop crown. Millions of viewers around the world cast their votes on a spirited Finnish violinist, a popular Moldovan rapper, a Serbian metal band, and many others at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.

The raucous competition has been likened to the World Cup, but with songs instead of football. Like global sport, it is often intertwined with politics. For the third year in a row, calls to exclude Israel overshadowed the contest due to its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five long-standing participants—Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia—boycotting in protest.

Political tensions cast a shadow over a competition that, over the decades, has given the world the quintessential pop anthem “Waterloo” by ABBA and the timeless “Nel Bleu Dipinto de Bleu” (known as “Volare”), along with a host of other Euro-pop hits. The musicians had just three minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, would choose the winner.

Street protests against Israel's participation

Street protests against Israeli involvement

Street protests against Israel's inclusion, due to its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza, were smaller in Vienna than at the 2024 competition in Malmö, Sweden, and last year's competition in Basel, Switzerland. 

Hundreds demonstrated near the competition venue before the final, some holding signs that read "Ban Eurovision." Pro-Palestinian groups also organized an open-air concert on Friday under the banner "No Stage for Genocide."

"Inviting Israel to such a beautiful stage as the Eurovision Song Contest is an insult to all people who believe in humanity, who believe in love and unity," said Congolese-Austrian artist Patrick Bongola, one of the organizers.

The boycott by the five countries is a blow to revenue and viewership for an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people worldwide last year. However, Eurovision is looking to expand, with a sub-version, the Eurovision Song Contest Asia, scheduled to take place in Bangkok next November.