Bulgaria's DARA wins a sensational victory at Eurovision Song Contest 2026

Competing against 24 other countries in the grand final on May 16, Bulgaria won over both viewers and juries and became the undisputed leader of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. With a total of 516 points, Bulgaria surpassed the second-place winner Israel, which received a combined total of 343 points from juries and the public vote.

Bulgaria secured the right to host the 2027 contest thanks to the energetic and avant-garde DARA and her even more unconventional song “Bangaranga”.

For most of the jury voting announcement, Bulgaria was in the lead, and the name of the country remained in the spotlight of millions of television viewers around the world. The maximum 12 points for Bulgaria were awarded by the national juries of Malta, Australia, Denmark, and Lithuania.

In the final of the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, Bulgaria delivered a striking performance, winning its first-ever Eurovision victory. With her expressive energy and avant-garde vision, the young and talented artist DARA made hundreds of thousands of music lovers from Europe and around the world talk about Bulgaria. The performer herself attracted enormous attention with her stage presence, and Eurovision will certainly not be her only appearance on a major international stage. Many more are waiting for her.

The desire to contribute to Bulgaria’s strong performance was expressed both by Bulgarians in Bulgaria and by a large portion of the Bulgarian diaspora around the world. Through social media posts and videos, they encouraged their friends to vote for Bulgaria.

Thus, Bulgaria’s return to the Eurovision stage after a four-year absence remains memorable and proves that participating in this prestigious music forum is worthwhile.

Bulgaria first stepped onto the Eurovision stage in 2005 with the band Kaffe and the English-language song “Lorraine.” Although the debut did not earn a place in the final, it marked the beginning of Bulgaria’s participation in the contest. Today, the band’s lead vocalist, Orlin Pavlov, is a solo performer and one of the popular figures on the contemporary Bulgarian pop scene.

You can watch the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 grand final here:

English: R. Petkova