Bulgaria's Dara wins Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna
Key takeaways
- Bulgaria has won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.
- Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have pulled out of the world's biggest live music contest, now in its 70th year, in protest at Israel's involvement.
- "We will not be in Vienna, but we will do so with the conviction that we are on the right side of history," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X on Friday.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Bulgaria has won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. The kitsch pop music extravaganza, the world's biggest live music contest, has again been overshadowed by protests and a boycott over Israel's participation.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dqh IDara was not one of the favorites heading into the final, but walked out with the ESC title Image: Tobias Schwarz/AFPAdvertisement Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest final in Austria's capital, Vienna, on Saturday night with the song "Bangaranga" amid a boycott by five countries over Israel's participation.
The Eurovision Song Contest described Dara as "one of the most well-known pop musicians in her country, shaping the image of contemporary Bulgarian pop with her unique voice, commanding stage presence and unrestrained genre-blending." It's the first time Bulgaria has won the contest.