Bulgaria has won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, with singer Dara securing the country's first victory in the competition's history. The 27-year-old's song Bangaranga triumphed in Vienna, where the event was held after Austria's win last year. Bulgaria only joined Eurovision in 2005 and had sat out the last three editions.
Described by Dara as "pop music with folklore bones", Bangaranga is a party anthem inspired by kukeri – an ancient Bulgarian ritual in which men wear furry costumes, bells and animal masks. The meaning of the word "bangaranga" became a running joke during the contest; Dara called it "a special energy that everyone has got inside themselves".
Bulgaria's surprise win spared organisers a major headache. Had second-placed Israel won, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) would have faced difficult questions about where to host the 2027 contest. Five countries – Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland – boycotted the event over Israel's continued participation amid attacks in Gaza.
About 10,000 spectators attended the final at Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle, with an expected television audience of more than 100 million. Twenty-five countries took part, including returning nations Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria. A protest against Israel's inclusion drew around 2,000 people in Vienna's city centre.
Israel's entry, a romantic pop song about a toxic relationship performed by Noam Bettan, came second after a strong public vote. There was some booing during the reading of Israel's jury points, and earlier the Israeli broadcaster KAN apologised for mocking Croatian group Lelek's traditional makeup. Voting rules were changed for this year, with fans allowed ten individual votes (down from 20) and unable to vote for their own country.
The United Kingdom finished last with Look Mum No Computer (Sam Battle) and his song Eins, Zwei, Drei. The entry received nul points from the public vote and failed to place in the top ten in any voting country – continuing the UK's poor run since Sam Ryder's second place in 2022.
