Bulgaria wins Eurovision for first time; Israel comes second amid boycott
Key takeaways
- Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia stage the biggest political boycott in Eurovision history over Israel participating, citing its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.
- Bulgarian pop singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won on Saturday with her catchy floor-filler Bangaranga, winning the 70th edition of the world’s biggest live televised music event.
- I don’t even know what’s going on right now,” Dara said at a news conference.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia stage the biggest political boycott in Eurovision history over Israel participating, citing its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Bulgaria's Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, aka Dara, celebrates with the trophy after winning the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, Austria, on May 16, 2026 [Tobias Schwarz/AFP]By AFP, AP and Reuters Published On 17 May 202617 May 2026Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time as Israel, whose participation had triggered a boycott from five countries and protests over its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, came in second.
Bulgarian pop singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won on Saturday with her catchy floor-filler Bangaranga, winning the 70th edition of the world’s biggest live televised music event.