Eurovision 2026: Meet Bulgaria's DARA and her song Bangaranga

We profile the 2026 entry from Bulgaria including details on the artist, song, how it was chosen, odds, fan reaction and how the nation has fared at Eurovision.

Bulgaria is back with a bang - returning for their first contest since 2022.

The Balkan nation has had a volatile history at Eurovision. Bulgaria made its debut at Eurovision 2005, and has participated in the contest 14 times. It has come in the top 15 fives times, the rest have been non qualifications.

Bulgaria has placed in the top five three times, but is yet to score a victory. The closest they got was in 2017 when Kristian Kostov finished runners-up with Beautiful Mess. Poli Genova came fourth with If Love was a Crime the year before, whilst Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov came fifth in 2007 with Water.

DARA hopes to build on this Bulgarian success with her entry for Eurovision 2026 Bangaranga.

You can find out more about DARA and her song below!

2026 entry: DARA - Bangaranga

• Bulgaria is opening semi-final 2

• My Eurovision Scoreboard ranking: 11th

• Odds to win ranking: 14th

(Rankings as of 10 April 2026)

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.

How was DARA chosen for Eurovision?

DARA was chosen in a three show national final.

In the first show on 24 January she was one of 15 participants who each sang a song from their repertoire. DARA performed Nishto poveche, which translates to "nothing else."

Along with seven other participants she advanced to the second show, which was held on 31 January, where she performed Thunder.

Through a combination of jury and public vote she was announced as the winning artist and later presented three original songs on 28 February: This Is Me, Curse and Bangaranga.

Bangaranga was the favourite with both the jury and the public vote and was declared Bulgaria's entry for Eurovision 2026.

Bulgaria will compete in the second semi-final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on 14 May 2026 in Vienna.

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