Bulgaria wins Eurovision after three-year break
Bulgarian singer Dara has won Eurovision Song Contest 2026, the final of which was held in Vienna, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to the combined results of the jury and public vote, Bulgaria scored 516 points. Dara received 204 points from the professional jury and 312 points from viewers with her song "Bangaranga."
The victory marked Bulgaria’s first-ever win in the history of the contest. The country made its Eurovision debut in 2005. Bulgaria last participated in the competition in 2022 before taking a three-year break due to financial difficulties faced by the national broadcaster.
Israel placed second with 343 points, while Romania finished third with 296 points.
Bookmakers’ favorite Finland ended up only in sixth place with 279 points.
Representatives from 25 countries performed in the final. After the jury votes were announced, Bulgaria was leading, followed by Australia and Denmark with 165 points each.
As part of the contest’s 70th anniversary celebrations, several legendary Eurovision performers also appeared on stage, including Ruslana, Verka Serduchka, Alexander Rybak and the Finnish band Lordi.
Dara, whose real name is Darina Yotova, was born in the Bulgarian city of Varna. She rose to fame after participating in the Bulgarian version of X Factor in 2015. She later released several popular songs, including “Thunder,” “Call Me” and “Mr. Rover,” and also served as a mentor on The Voice of Bulgaria.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the Asian edition of the competition, Eurovision Song Contest Asia, will be held for the first time in Bangkok in November 2026.