Eurovision 2026: DARA wins for Bulgaria

Photo courtesy of Christian Bruna/Getty Images

DARA has won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest for Bulgaria with Bangaranga.

This is Bulgaria's first win.

She won with a total of 516 points - 204 from the juries (1st) and 312 from the televote (1st).

Israel finished in second place and Romania in third place.

Delta did Australia very proud, giving us a very formidable fourth place!

The overall Top 10 results:

1. Bulgaria - 516 points

2. Israel - 343 points

3. Romania - 296 points

4. AUSTRALIA - 287 points

5. Italy - 281 points

6. Finland - 279 points

7. Denmark - 243 points

8. Moldova - 226 points

9. Ukraine - 221 points

10. Greece - 220 points

The public vote results:

1. Bulgaria - 312 points

2. Romania - 232 points

3. Israel - 220 points

4. Moldova - 183 points

5. Ukraine - 167 points

=6. Italy - 147 points

=6. Greece - 147 points

8. Finland - 138 points

9. Australia - 122 points

10. Albania - 85 points

The jury vote results:

1. Bulgaria - 204 points

=3. Australia - 165 points 

=3. Denmark - 165 points

4. France - 144 points

5. Finland - 141 points

6. Italy - 134 points

7. Poland - 133 points

8. Israel - 123 points

9. Norway - 115 points

10. Czechia - 104 points

About the artist

DARA was born in Varna, Bulgaria on 8 September 1998.

Her repertoire mainly consists of contemporary pop, though she has experimented with other genres too and has been described as a trend-setter in the Bulgarian music industry.

She first came to prominence by finishing third on X Factor Bulgaria in 2015. Coincidentally 2017 Bulgarian representative Kristina Kostov, finished second in that season.

Since then DARA has achieved great chart success, having multiple number 1 hits on the Bulgarian music charts. Eurovision.com reports "her songs and videos have amassed over 80 million listens and views."

DARA's biggest singles are Thunder, Call Me and Mr. Rover. In 2022 she released her debut album Rodena takava, with her most recent album Adhdara being released last year.

DARA is also giving back to the Bulgarian music industry by appearing as a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria since 2021. She has twice been a winning coach.

About the song

Bangaranga translates to "riot" in Jamaican Patois and marks the first time the language has appeared at Eurovision.

At the Bulgarian Eurovision national final DARA provided this description of Bangaranga:

"Bangaranga symbolises the discovery of the inner strength each of us possesses. Acting with love, not fear."

This notion is reflected in the opening lyrics of the second stanza "I'm an angel, I'm a demon, I'm a psycho for no reason."

Bangaranga is also inspired by mummers, who are men who dress in dramatic costumes to scare away evil in winter and early spring to bring about positive things such as fertility, good health and an excellent harvest. This tradition has existed in Bulgaria for thousands of years.

The music video features kukeri, a type of mummer from Razlog - highlighting the strong Bulgarian nature of the entry.

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