Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026 in Vienna

Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna on May 16, with singer DARA taking the country's first title at the 70th edition of the competition. Official Eurovision coverage said DARA won with "Bangaranga," while results published by Eurovision World showed Bulgaria finished on 516 points. Eurovoix reported DARA also led both the jury and public vote, a combination not achieved since Salvador Sobral's 2017 win for Portugal. ### How decisive was Bulgaria's win in the final? Eurovision World's published scoreboard showed Bulgaria on 516 points, well ahead of runner-up Israel on 343 and third-placed Romania on 296. The same results page listed 312 televote points and 204 jury points for DARA, giving Bulgaria first place in both parts of the vote. The official Eurovision site described the result as Bulgaria's first-ever Eurovision victory. (eurovision.tv) Associated Press, in live coverage from Vienna, also reported that DARA won the contest with "Bangaranga" and called it Bulgaria's first win. ### What did DARA win with? The official Eurovision site identified Bulgaria's winning entry as "Bangaranga," performed by DARA. (eurovisionworld.com) Eurovision World's results page listed the same song title and artist in first place for the May 16 grand final at Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle. Associated Press described "Bangaranga" as a dance anthem in its live report from Vienna. (eurovision.tv) BBC's live coverage said Bulgaria clinched the victory ahead of Israel, which finished second on 343 points, while the United Kingdom came last with one point. ### Why are Eurovision watchers focusing on the jury and public vote split? Eurovoix reported that DARA became the first artist since Salvador Sobral in 2017 to win both the jury vote and the public vote. (eurovision.tv) Eurovision World's published breakdown supports that claim, showing Bulgaria ranked first on both measures in the 2026 final. The same results page showed several entries split more sharply between juries and viewers, including Romania with 232 public points but 64 jury points, and France with 14 public points but 144 jury points. (apnews.com) Bulgaria's result stood out because it led both columns. ### What happened in Bulgaria after the win? Eurovoix reported on May 21 that Bulgaria's government had set up a working group to prepare for Eurovision 2027 after the Vienna result. (eurovoix.com) The outlet's Eurovision 2027 coverage also said broadcaster BNT and Bulgarian government officials had already held an initial meeting on hosting preparations. Eurovoix's Eurovision 2027 archive showed immediate interest from Bulgarian cities as well, including Varna, DARA's hometown, and Sofia. (eurovisionworld.com) Those reports indicate the post-victory discussion moved quickly from celebration to planning for next year's host contest. ### What comes next for Eurovision 2027? Eurovoix reported on May 21 that the Bulgarian government's working group had begun contest preparations with broadcaster BNT. (eurovoix.com) The official Eurovision site has already shifted its event navigation to "Vienna 2027," while Eurovoix's 2027 coverage lists early host-city interest from Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna. The next formal steps are expected to center on host-city bids and coordination between BNT, Bulgarian authorities and the European Broadcasting Union, according to Eurovoix's reporting on the first government-broadcaster meeting and subsequent planning coverage. (eurovoix.com 1) (eurovoix.com 2)