For the first time in its Eurovision history, Bulgaria has climbed to the very top of the European song contest. Singer Dara won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on Saturday night with the energetic dance track “Bangaranga,” earning a commanding 516 points from a combination of jury and televote scores.
The victory came as a genuine surprise. Bookmakers had heavily favored Finland’s Pete Parkkonen and violinist Linda Lampenius, as well as Australia’s Delta Goodrem. But Dara won both the jury vote and the televote — a rare feat that left no room for debate about the result.
Israel’s Noam Bettan finished second despite international protests over his country’s participation and audible boos from sections of the Viennese audience. Australia’s Delta Goodrem landed a strong fourth place, while Greece’s Akyla came in tenth — a result that Greek media described as a source of national pride.
The song “Bangaranga” itself has drawn almost as much attention as the performance. According to official contest materials, the title draws inspiration from the kukueri — ancient Bulgarian ritual performers whose mission was to ward off evil. The song translates that tradition into a modern anthem about choosing love over fear and confronting one’s inner demons. As one Greek analysis put it, the song “represents the higher self, taking a step forward — stronger than anxiety, doubt, shame, and inner chaos.”
Spain’s El País noted that the contest also made headlines by not closing the door on Russia’s potential future return to the competition — a politically charged footnote to an already eventful evening.
