Bulgaria’s Dara won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on Saturday night with “Bangaranga,” securing the country’s first-ever Eurovision victory. Going into the final, the song was not among the favourites. It did not appear on any major predictions list for the top spot. And then it won, convincingly, taking both the national jury vote and the public televote, finishing with a total of 516 points. Israel placed second with Noam Bettan’s “Michelle,” Romania third, Australia fourth with Delta Goodrem’s “Eclipse,” and Italy fifth.
The Song
“Bangaranga” is a high-energy electronic anthem infused with Bulgarian folk influences, inspired by kukeri, an ancient Bulgarian ritual in which men roam villages dressed in furry costumes with bells and animal masks. Dara described “bangaranga” as “a special energy that everyone has got in themselves, a feeling that everything is possible.” On the night, the performance, intense dancing, a relentless chorus, and staging by Fredrik Rydman got some of the loudest cheers of the evening inside the Wiener Stadthalle. It started at full volume and did not let up once.
The Context
Bulgaria had not sent a performer to the previous three Eurovision Song Contests, returning only in 2026 as a handful of countries opted out of Israel’s continued participation. The irony is not lost; Bulgaria’s absence and then its return became the very condition that made its first win possible. The 70th edition of the contest, which was intended as a celebration of European pop culture’s most enduring institution, was held under the shadow of boycott and protest. Bulgaria walked through the noise and came out the other side holding the Crystal Microphone.
What Comes Next
The winning country traditionally hosts the following year’s contest. The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Bulgaria, a country that had not competed for three consecutive years, now preparing to host the world’s biggest song competition. As turnarounds go, it is one of the more remarkable ones the contest has produced in its seven decades.
