Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 for the first time in its history after Dara triumphed with the song Bangaranga.
The Grand Final took place on Saturday 16 May at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, hosted by Austrian broadcaster ORF under Eurovision’s long-running slogan “United By Music”.
Dara secured a total of 516 points following combined jury and public voting, finishing ahead of Israel, whose entrant Noam Bettan placed second with the song Michelle.
Third place went to Romania, represented by Alexandra Căpitănescu with Choke Me.
Bulgaria claims first Eurovision victory after years of near misses
This marks the first Eurovision win for Bulgaria since the country debuted in the competition in 2005.
Bulgaria had previously come close to victory on multiple occasions, including second-place finishes in 2007 and 2017.
The winning song Bangaranga was written by Anne Judith Stokke Wik, Darina Yotova, Dimitris Kontopoulos and Monoir.
Eurovision 2026 featured 25 finalists and votes from 148 countries
A total of 25 countries competed in this year’s Grand Final, while juries from 35 competing nations delivered points based on Friday evening’s dress rehearsal performance.
Viewers’ televotes were then added live during the broadcast, creating a dramatic finish as Dara maintained her lead through the final stages of the voting sequence.
According to organisers, votes were received from 148 countries worldwide, two more than during the 2025 contest.
The final result was independently verified by Eurovision voting partner Once.
Vienna hosted Eurovision’s 70th anniversary celebration
This year’s contest also marked the 70th anniversary of Eurovision, with the show featuring several special interval performances celebrating the competition’s history.
Among the performers were Cesár Sampson, former Eurovision winner Ruslana, Miriana Conte and Erika Vikman.
The broadcast also included a tribute to Vienna featuring Billy Joel.
Inside the Wiener Stadthalle, approximately 11,000 fans attended the Grand Final live, while millions watched globally through television broadcasts and online streams.
Eurovision organisers praise Vienna production and sustainability efforts
Martin Green CBE, the EBU’s Director, congratulated Dara and BNT following the victory.
“Our congratulations go to the fabulous Dara and to BNT, and we wish her every success as the Eurovision Song Contest provides a global springboard for his future career.”
Michael Krön, ORF’s Executive Producer of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 added:
“It was a great pleasure and honour to bring such a special and emotional show to life for the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest and to depict seven decades of its history.”
“In the end, a beautiful party remains for people who are United by Music.”
