Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026 with Dara
- Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna on May 17, with DARA taking Bulgaria’s first-ever title with “Bangaranga.” - Eurovision’s official site said Bulgaria scored 516 points, including 312 from televoters, and won both the jury and public vote. - Bulgaria’s public broadcaster BNT and outside producers are already in focus as Eurovision 2027 host preparations begin.
DARA gave Bulgaria its first Eurovision Song Contest victory on May 17, winning the 2026 final in Vienna with “Bangaranga,” according to Eurovision’s official contest site. The win came at the 70th edition of the contest at Wiener Stadthalle and ended Bulgaria’s long wait for a title after previous near-misses, including a runner-up finish in 2017. Eurovision’s official results page said Bulgaria finished on 516 points, ahead of Israel in second and Romania in third. ### How decisive was the result? Eurovision’s official site said Bulgaria won both parts of the vote — 204 points from juries and 312 from televoters — for a combined 516. The same report said the margin over second place was 173 points, which it described as the biggest winning margin in contest history. (eurovision.com) The official Eurovision report said Israel finished second with Noam Bettan’s “Michelle,” while Romania placed third with Alexandra Căpitănescu’s “Choke Me.” Australia and Italy completed the top five. ### Who owns “Bangaranga” after the win? Eurovision Fun reported on May 23 that the master recording of “Bangaranga” belongs to K2ID, the production company co-owned by Elias Kokotos and Dimitris Kontopoulos. (eurovision.com) The outlet said Kokotos described an agreement under which K2ID handled the production of Bulgaria’s entry, made the primary investment and retained ownership of the master recording. The same report said Bulgaria’s public broadcaster BNT selected the artist, while K2ID developed the song and the overall stage concept after DARA was chosen. Eurovision’s official site listed the songwriters as Anne Judith Stokke Wik, Darina Yotova, Dimitris Kontopoulos and Monoir. (eurovisionfun.com) ### Which producers and creatives were involved? Elias Kokotos told Eurovision Fun that director Fredrik Benke Rydman played what he called a crucial role in the victory. Kokotos said the team wanted a staging concept with a distinct identity rather than, in his words, “one woman and four dancers.” (eurovisionfun.com) Eurovision’s official site also linked the result to Bulgaria’s return to the contest after missing the 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions. The site described DARA as becoming the country’s first Eurovision winner. ### What happened in the voting fallout after the final? RAI released Italy’s full televote breakdown in the days after the final, according to That Eurovision Site. (eurovisionfun.com) The report said Moldova topped the Italian televote in both the grand final and the semi-final, even though Italy itself finished fifth overall in Vienna. (eurovision.com) Eurovoix reported on May 23 that audience interest in Moldova rose sharply, saying the final audience more than doubled compared with 2024. Eurovoix also published a separate ratings report for Serbia’s 2026 Eurovision shows. ### What happens next for Bulgaria? Eurovoix reported on May 23 that the Eurovision 2027 host city bidding process is due to begin within two weeks. (thateurovisionsite.com) A separate Eurovoix report said the Bulgarian government has already set up a working group for contest preparations. BNT, K2ID and the European Broadcasting Union are now the named participants most closely tied to the next phase: organizing Bulgaria’s hosting plans, finalizing production arrangements and preparing the 2027 contest process. (eurovoix.com) (eurovisionfun.com) (eurovoix.com)
