Bulgaria wins Eurovision with Dara

Bulgaria’s Dara won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on Saturday with “Bangaranga,” delivering Bulgaria’s first victory in the competition. The official results posted after the grand final showed Bulgaria on 516 points, ahead of Israel on 343 and Romania on 296. The May 16 final unfolded under the shadow of a five-country boycott tied to Israel’s participation during the war in Gaza. Reuters and other outlets reported that Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland did not send competing acts, though some still aired the show. The result capped a four-hour final at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle, where 25 countries competed for the trophy and the right to host next year’s contest. (eurovisionworld.com) Eurovision’s published table showed Dara winning both the jury vote and the public vote, with 204 jury points and 312 public points. ### How did Bulgaria win? Eurovision’s final scoreboard showed Bulgaria finishing first with 516 points, well clear of Israel’s 343. (msn.com) Dara’s “Bangaranga” collected the highest combined total after the jury and televote were added together. The official results page also showed Bulgaria leading both parts of the vote rather than relying on a late swing from one side of the system. (eurovisionworld.com) Bulgaria received 204 points from juries and 312 from the public, according to the posted breakdown. AP and Eurovision coverage described the win as Bulgaria’s first in the contest. (eurovisionworld.com) The result came in the event’s 70th edition. ### Who finished behind Dara? Israel finished second with 343 points for “Michelle,” performed by Noam Bettan, according to the final results and post-show reports. Romania placed third with Alexandra Căpitănescu’s “Choke Me” on 296 points. (eurovisionworld.com) Australia finished fourth with Delta Goodrem’s “Eclipse” on 287 points, while Italy was fifth on 281, the official table showed. (apnews.com) Ukraine finished ninth and France 11th. Reuters reported that Israel again drew a strong public vote. Eurovision’s published breakdown showed Israel receiving 220 public points and 123 jury points. (eurovisionworld.com) ### Which countries boycotted, and why? Five countries boycotted Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s participation, according to Reuters-linked and other contemporaneous reports. (eurovisionworld.com) Yahoo News UK, citing the run-up to the contest, identified them as Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland. (msn.com) Those reports said the boycott was tied to opposition to Israel’s conduct in Gaza and to frustration among some broadcasters over the European Broadcasting Union’s handling of Israel’s inclusion and the voting system. The same pre-final reporting said some broadcasters planned alternative programming instead of airing the event live. (msn.com) Al Jazeera reported that thousands protested outside the final in Vienna on May 16 over Israel’s participation. Reuters described the boycott as the biggest political boycott in Eurovision’s history. ### What happened to the United Kingdom? The United Kingdom finished last with one point for “Eins, Zwei, Drei,” performed by Look Mum No Computer, whose real name is Sam Battle. (uk.news.yahoo.com) Post-final coverage said the UK’s only point came from Ukraine’s jury, with zero from the public vote. Yahoo News UK reported that the result made it the fourth consecutive year in which the UK received no public points in the final. (aljazeera.com) Battle later wrote on Facebook that Dara was the “honestly deserved winner,” according to that report. The official final table placed Austria 24th on six points and Germany 23rd on 12, leaving the UK alone at the bottom on one. (eurovisionworld.com) ### What comes next after the final? The Eurovision results page says the winner earns the honor of hosting next year’s contest. Because Bulgaria won on May 16, the next step is for organizers and Bulgarian participants to move toward Eurovision 2027 planning. (uk.news.yahoo.com) The most immediate public record is the official results table and voting breakdown published after the grand final, which lists all 25 finalists, their songs and their jury and public totals. (eurovisionworld.com) Dara, Noam Bettan and Alexandra Căpitănescu head that final ranking.