Bulgaria’s Dara won the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna with “Bangaranga,” finishing on 320 points and overtaking Israel’s Noam Bettan, whose entry “Michelle” led the public vote with 220 points. The contest was affected by boycotts from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland, who said they refused to participate in protest at Israel’s involvement. Several countries continued regional voting patterns, with Greece and Cyprus among those exchanging maximum 12 points.

In a column reflecting on the event, KC Alper Ali Riza said the competition lacked memorable songs and argued the European Broadcasting Union should reassert the primacy of melody and lyrics over spectacle. The piece also highlighted ongoing concerns about bloc voting and noted the United Kingdom received a single point, from the Ukraine jury.