DARA wins Eurovision 2026 with 516

DARA won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on May 16 with “Bangaranga,” giving Bulgaria its first victory since joining the competition in 2005. The Bulgarian singer finished on 516 points, according to contest coverage and Bulgarian media reports, after topping both the jury vote and the public televote. The result put Bulgaria ahead of Israel, which finished second on 343 points. DARA returned to Sofia on May 17 to a crowd of fans and officials at Vasil Levski Sofia Airport. ### How did Bulgaria win this year’s contest? The 516-point total came from 204 jury points and 312 televote points, according to Culture.org’s contest recap and Eurovision-focused results coverage. Those totals made DARA the top act with both professional juries and viewers, the first time a single act had led both categories since 2017, Bulgarian state news agency BTA reported. (culture.org) Vienna hosted the 2026 contest after Austria’s JJ won in 2025, and the grand final featured 25 countries, according to contest coverage. Culture.org said Romania, Australia and Italy completed the top five, while the United Kingdom finished last. ### Who is DARA, and what is “Bangaranga”? (culture.org) DARA is the stage name of Darina Yotova, according to Culture.org, which cited the official Eurovision website on the song’s credits. “Bangaranga” was written by DARA, Anne Judith Stokke Wik, Dimitris Kontopoulos and Monoir, the outlet reported. (culture.org) Culture.org reported that the performance drew on kukeri, a Bulgarian ritual tradition associated with fur costumes, bells and masks, while keeping the song in a dance-pop format. The same report said DARA emerged from Bulgaria’s national selection to represent the country in Vienna. (culture.org) ### Why is the result significant for Bulgaria? Bulgaria’s win was its first at Eurovision, BTA and multiple contest reports said. Culture.org said the country’s best previous result had been Kristian Kostov’s second-place finish in 2017, and that Bulgaria had not competed in the previous three editions before returning in 2026. (culture.org) The margin over second-place Israel was 173 points, and BTA described that as the largest winning margin in the history of the contest. Culture.org also said the result was the largest in absolute points, while noting that scoring systems have changed over time. (bta.bg) ### What happened when DARA returned home? DARA landed in Sofia on May 17 and was greeted with a water salute, BTA reported. The agency said Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev, members of the Bulgarian National Television management board and fans were at the airport. (bta.bg) In her first statement in Sofia, DARA said, “We have done something great for Bulgarian music,” according to BTA. She added that she hoped the result would send “a message that Bulgaria’s performers and artists deserve stronger support,” and then performed “Bangaranga” for the crowd gathered at the airport. (bta.bg) ### What comes next after the win? The Eurovision rules mean the winning country typically hosts the following year’s contest, so Bulgaria is expected to move into preparations for Eurovision 2027, based on standard contest practice and this year’s Vienna handover. The official Eurovision site has already published participant and contest coverage for the 2026 event, while Bulgarian media and BNT officials were part of the arrival ceremony in Sofia on May 17. (bta.bg) (eurovisionworld.com)