Bulgaria has claimed its first-ever victory in the Eurovision Song Contest, with pop artist Dara storming the leaderboard during the grand final of the 70th anniversary edition in Vienna, Austria.
The musical showcase took place overnight at the Wiener Stadthalle following the 2025 victory of Austrian performer JJ. The event featured a roster of 25 grand finalists performing before a live stadium crowd of 10,000 and a global television audience exceeding 100 million viewers.
Dara, an established 27-year-old performer in her homeland, emerged as a surprise victor over heavily tracked favorites from Finland and Australia.
Her entry, “Bangaranga,” is an upbeat party track inspired by kukeri – an ancient Bulgarian ritual featuring furry costumed dancers and traditional bells. Dara described the song’s core concept as “pop music with folklore bones.”
Bulgaria secured its victory under the complex double-voting framework. The country received 204 points from the professional national juries and a massive 312 points from the global public televote, finishing at the top of the leaderboard with 516 points overall.
Israel’s Noam Bettan finished in second place with 343 points, while Australia’s Delta Goodrem finished fourth. The UK finished last, with experimental electronic act Look Mum No Computer receiving “nul points” from the public vote but a single jury point from Ukraine.
With this victory, Bulgaria will take over hosting duties for the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in 2027.
Ukraine secures a top-10 finish
Ukraine has maintained its consistent record of strong competitive showings, placing 9th overall in the grand final.
The nation was represented by 36-year-old ethno-jazz vocalist Victoria LELÉKA alongside renowned bandurist Yaroslav Dzhus. Performing seventh in the lineup, the duo delivered a performance of the song “Ridnym“ – a contemporary piece integrating traditional Ukrainian instrumentation with jazz arrangements.
Victoria LELÉKA, an artist who normally splits her time working with her ethno-jazz group in Germany and her electronic project DONBA₴GRL, had previously swept Ukraine’s National Selection in February under the musical production of Eurovision icon Jamala.
The duo’s strong public televote score in Vienna reaffirmed Ukraine’s deep diaspora and international support, building upon recent historical successes on the broader European stage, including a second-place finish at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest late last year.