DARA after the victory: “I don’t know what I’m doing, but it’s wonderful!”

At the official press conference following Bulgaria’s first-ever victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Bulgaria’s representative DARA thanked everyone for their support.

“I don’t know what I’m doing, but it’s wonderful. Thank you all for the support. It’s incredible - I don’t even know what’s happening right now. But I want to thank everyone who felt the power of ‘Bangaranga.’ And I think the name of that power is what we call God or the Universe. And the language we all speak is the language of music - music that helps us turn reality into something more colorful and brings us together,” DARA said.

At the end of January, DARA became the big winner of the Bulgarian National Television selection for choosing the country’s Eurovision representative. When asked to describe the journey from the national contest to winning the grand final, the Bulgarian singer joked that if she described it in detail, the press conference would never end. Still, she briefly spoke about her emotional and psychological state after winning the national selection and the wave of negative comments that followed regarding her performance.

“I’m extremely grateful that I took part in Eurovision,” DARA added, personally thanking her husband, who supported her when she herself had doubts about participating.

DARA performed 12th in the Eurovision grand final with the song Bangaranga, earning a total of 516 points, becoming the favorite of both the audience and the jury. Israel placed second with 343 points, while Romania came third with 296 points.

“I’m still in shock and I don’t know what’s happening. Nobody believed we could win, that ‘Bangaranga’ could win. To receive such recognition from both the jury and the audience is like a dream,” DARA admitted.

At the press conference in Vienna, attended by the entire team behind the song as well as the director-general of the Bulgarian National Television Mrs. Milena Milotinova and the director-general of the Bulgarian National Radio Mr. Milen Mitev, DARA responded to a question from a Balkan media outlet by saying that she has long wished for greater closeness and unity among the peoples of the Balkans in the name of shared causes.

“I’m extremely grateful for the chance to participate in Eurovision. Every day I spent here, I felt safe, supported, and like absolutely anything was possible. This community of people is incredible, and I’ll miss all of you. Today I feel ready to cry at any moment because I’ll miss you. I felt at home from the very first second I arrived at this place. Thank you so much!” the singer also shared.

Dara also expressed great happiness that Sofia will host Eurovision next year and that viewers from all over the world will have the chance to see and learn more about her homeland.

The Director General of Bulgarian National Television, Milena Milotinova, said she was proud and welcomed everyone with the words, “Welcome to Sofia next year.”

“What DARA did was truly incredible. And I’m proud to be present at the final of the contest, where Bulgaria returns after five years of absence. I want to thank the entire team behind DARA, our partners, and the team at Bulgarian National Television. Thank you, people.”

And DARA, in her characteristic cheerful and witty style, added:

“Mayor, I hope you prepare a nice big red carpet for the guests!”

Edited by R. Petkova