The results are in, and the winner of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is Bulgaria, a first in the country’s history. The pop star, DARA, triumphed with her song “Bangaranga” at the 70th edition of the competition in Vienna, Austria.
DARA secured victory with 516 points, finishing well ahead of Israel in second place and Romania in third (Israel: 343 points; Romania: 296 points). The win marks a historic milestone for Bulgaria, which first entered Eurovision in 2005 and returned this year after a three-year break (eurovision.com).
Throughout Eurovision week, Bulgaria steadily gained momentum. DARA won her semi-final before advancing to the Grand Final, where her performance received strong support from both the professional juries and televoters across Europe. According to Eurovision analysts, Bulgaria’s entry was one of the few songs to perform exceptionally well across all voting groups, helping it build a strong lead on the scoreboard.
The performance of “Bangaranga” blended modern electronic pop with elements inspired by Bulgarian folklore. According to DARA, the song drew inspiration from ancient Bulgarian rituals designed to drive away evil spirits and symbolize overcoming fear through hope and self-belief.
As the final votes were tallied up, celebrations erupted across Bulgaria. Thousands of fans gathered around the screen to watch the results, while social media was flooded with videos and congratulations to the winner and the breakthrough. Upon returning home, DARA was welcomed by cheering crowds waving Bulgarian flags and chanting her name (theguardian.com).
The artist was “in shock” once the results were announced, and said that winning felt like a dream, stating, “nobody believed that we could win and that ‘Bangaranga’ could win.” DARA admitted to writing about her victory for seven months, manifesting the victory to come. She encouraged young people from Bulgaria to pursue their dreams, stating that success is possible regardless of a country’s size (theguardian.com).
The Victory also means that Bulgaria is expected to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, bringing one of the world’s largest televised music events to the country for the first time. Bulgarian leaders praised DARA’s achievements, calling her an ambassador for Bulgarian culture and talent on the international stage.
Freshman Fay Zhou says, “While listening to ‘Bangaranga,’ I thought, at first, that it was a unique song, but after hearing it a couple of times, I could hear the culture and the work that went into the making of the song.”
For Bulgaria, Eurovision 2026 will be remembered as the year a long-held dream became reality. With “Bangaranga,” DARA not only won a song contest but also secured a place in Bulgarian cultural history, delivering a victory that fans have waited more than two decades to celebrate.
