Bulgaria's DARA clinches Eurovision 2026 crown with 516 points for 'Bangaranga'

Bulgaria’s DARA won the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna on May 16 with “Bangaranga,” giving the country its first victory in the competition, according to Eurovision’s official website and EurovisionWorld. EurovisionWorld’s final scoreboard showed DARA finishing on 516 points after the combined jury and televote. Radio Bulgaria reported that thousands later gathered in central Sofia on May 19 for a homecoming celebration. The result capped Bulgaria’s return to the contest after a three-year absence, according to Radio Bulgaria. ### How decisive was DARA’s win? EurovisionWorld’s 2026 results page showed Bulgaria finishing first on 516 points, well ahead of Israel in second place on 343 and Romania in third on 296. The same scoreboard listed 312 points from the public vote and 204 from juries for DARA’s “Bangaranga.” The Eurovision Song Contest’s official site said DARA had delivered Bulgaria’s “first-ever Eurovision victory.” Bulgaria had previously come close without winning, and the 2026 result put the country at the top of the final table in Vienna. ### What do the numbers show about where the song connected? The 312 televote points were the single biggest part of DARA’s total, according to EurovisionWorld, indicating that “Bangaranga” drew broader support from viewers than from juries. Jury support was also strong at 204 points, enough to keep Bulgaria comfortably ahead once the two tallies were combined. EurovisionWorld’s country page for Bulgaria identifies the winning entry as “Bangaranga” and lists DARA as the performer. (eurovisionworld.com) The site also links the live grand final performance and the detailed voting breakdown for the contest. ### Where did “Bangaranga” come from before Vienna? Radio Bulgaria reported in February that DARA had been selected to represent Bulgaria at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. (eurovisionworld.com) The broadcaster said Bulgaria was returning to the contest after a three-year pause and identified DARA as Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, a singer from Varna. Radio Bulgaria also reported in late February that “Bangaranga” was chosen as Bulgaria’s song for the contest. (eurovisionworld.com) In that report, DARA said the title translated as “riot” from Jamaican, and the broadcaster said she would compete in the second semi-final before the May 16 grand final in Vienna. ### Why was Sofia celebrating three days later? (bnrnews.bg) Radio Bulgaria reported that thousands gathered in central Sofia on May 19 to welcome DARA home after the win. The celebration, billed as a DARA party, turned the Eurovision result into a public event in the capital within days of the grand final. The timing mattered because the contest itself ended on May 16 in Vienna, according to EurovisionWorld, and the Sofia gathering followed almost immediately after Bulgaria’s first title was confirmed. (bnrnews.bg) That sequence — victory abroad, then a homecoming crowd in Sofia — was central to how Bulgarian outlets framed the aftermath. ### What is the official record of the result now? (bnrnews.bg) Eurovision’s official website has already archived DARA as the 2026 winner and says Bulgaria achieved its first Eurovision title with the song. EurovisionWorld’s 2026 results page lists the full final standings, the public-versus-jury split and the participating countries in Vienna. EurovisionWorld said the 2026 grand final took place on May 16 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, with 25 countries in the final and 35 in the overall contest. (eurovisionworld.com) Those published tables are the main reference point for the final scoreline and for how DARA reached 516 points. (eurovision.tv)