Bulgaria has won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, securing its first victory in the competition's 70-year history. Singer Dara, 27, triumphed with the song Bangaranga, described as 'pop music with folklore bones'. The track is inspired by the ancient Bulgarian ritual of kukeri, where men wear furry costumes and animal masks. Bulgaria joined Eurovision in 2005 and had been absent for the last three editions.
The contest, held in Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle, saw around 10,000 spectators and an expected TV audience of over 100 million. Austria hosted after JJ's win in 2025. Five countries—Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland—boycotted the event over Israel's participation amid ongoing attacks in Gaza. About 2,000 protesters gathered in Vienna against Israel's inclusion.
Israel's entry, Michelle by Noam Bettan, finished second after a strong public vote. The EBU changed voting rules for 2026, allowing fans ten individual votes (down from 20) and banning voting for one's own country. During the jury vote, Israel's presenter referenced last year's voting controversy, saying he 'already knew who was going to win'.
The UK finished last with Eins, Zwei, Drei by Sam Battle, known as Look Mum No Computer. The song received nul points in the public vote, failing to place in any country's top ten. This continues a streak of poor results for the UK since Sam Ryder's second place in 2022.
Bulgaria's win spares the EBU a major headache over hosting the 2027 contest, which would have arisen had Israel won. The runner-up spot for Israel, however, may still fuel debate over its participation. The contest also featured the return of Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania after absences in previous years.
