{"id":2420935,"date":"2026-05-17T22:21:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T22:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2420935"},"modified":"2026-05-17T22:21:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T22:21:21","slug":"the-latest-bulgarian-singer-dara-wins-this-years-eurovision-song-contest-in-vienna-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-latest-bulgarian-singer-dara-wins-this-years-eurovision-song-contest-in-vienna-living\/","title":{"rendered":"The Latest: Bulgarian singer Dara wins this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna | Living"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bulgarian singer Dara\u2019s dance anthem \u201cBangaranga\u201d won the Eurovision Song Contest<\/a> held on Saturday in Vienna, her country\u2019s first ever win in the competition. Tight security and rainy weather failed to dent the enthusiasm of the contest’s fans \u2014 or that of the critics who said Israel should not have been invited<\/a> to the party.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The up-tempo pop banger \u201cBangaranga,\u201d was a mood elevator on the stage early in the night and earned 516 points while Israel followed in second place with 343.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Missing from this year\u2019s spectacle were five countries \u2014 Spain,<\/a>, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland, high-profile absentees who boycotting in protest<\/a> of Israel\u2019s inclusion in the contest following the war in Gaza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But after a week\u2019s buildup, acts from 25 countries took the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena to battle for the continent\u2019s pop crown in what was the 70th rendition of the contest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bulgarian singer Dara\u2019s \u2018Bangaranga\u2019 wins the contest<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Dara beat 24 other competitors in the grand final.. The song\u2019s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine was a hit with both viewers and national juries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The song earned 516 points while Israel followed in second place with 343. Moments after she was named the winner, Dara launched into \u201cBangaranga\u201d for a second time Saturday night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As the announcement of the results gets underway, things can get confusing<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Winners are decided by a mix of votes from national juries and the viewing public who vote online, by phone or by text message.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Juries award points to their favorite acts on a scale of 1 to 12. The hosts will go to a spokesperson from each of the 35 countries that competed, who will announce which country will receive the coveted \u201cdouze points\u201d \u2014 12 points.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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After that, the public vote from each country is added in, and the leader board can change dramatically. It\u2019s a slow process that builds suspense and milks the tension of the competition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Performances are over, now an interval, then the voting<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Norway\u2019s Jonas Lovv and his entry \u201cYa Ya Ya\u201d offered simple, repetitive power chords, silky-smooth vocals and a chant-along chorus that spans nation and language as the crowd cheered along, \u201cYa Ya Ya.\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Romania\u2019s entry was a Lady Gaga<\/a> \u2019s nu-metal sister, Alexandra C\u0103pit\u0103nescu, with her \u201cChoke me.\u201d And for the final entry, Austria’s Cosm\u00f3 with \u201cTanzschein\u201d was a disco, techno-pop romp \u2014 and an ideal way to close the night\u2019s performances.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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After all 25 Eurovision finalists performed their songs, the audience is treated to a period of interval entertainment while voting lines remain open a bit longer while votes from across Europe and beyond are tallied.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Getting closer to the end<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Finland\u2019s entry electrified, an early favorite in the competition with \u201cLiekinheitin,\u201d or \u201cFlamethrower,\u201d an animated mashup of pop singer Pete Parkkonen\u2019s anguished vocals and violinist Linda Lampenius\u2019 fiery fiddling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Alicja, the entry for Poland, was betting on voters awarding big points to big vocals with her song \u201cPray\u201d bringing up images of gospel music. Lion Ceccah, a prominent figure in Lithuania\u2019s drag scene,iwas responsible for one of the more interesting entries with his trilingual \u201cS\u00f3lo Quiero M\u00e1s\u201d (\u201cI Just Want More\u201d), an emotive synth-pop that plays out like a film noir.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sweden\u2019s Felicia wore a facemask as she rendered her \u201cMy System,\u201d which wasn\u2019t for the faint of heart. Cyprus\u2019 Antigoni delivered a joyous \u201cJalla,\u201d a summery pop song that weaves in traditional Cypriot instrumentation, including \u00e7ifteli and lute, making it the perfect soundtrack to the beach vacation in your brain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Italy’s classist vocalist Sal Da Vinci sand his heart out to a new love with \u201cPer Sempre S\u00ec,\u201d a fun vintage romp for those who miss the Eurovision of yore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Goth-y folk, some goofy yet thoughtful critique and cheeky patriotism<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Croatia\u2019s Lelek channeled something ancient and powerful with their goth-y folk \u201cAndromeda.\u201d Their stacked harmonies were only emboldened by their physical appearance: The women wore marks on their face and body meant to look like the same used to repel the Ottoman Empire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The U.K.\u2019s Look Mum No Computer with its \u201cEins, Zwei, Drei\u201d was a thoughtful critique of the mundanity of labor but also catchy, synth-pop and goofy. Their stage design was also one of the most fun: soulless rectangular desks became imaginative platforms, like an alternative universe nightclub in space.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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From France, Monroe\u2019s \u201cRegarde!\u201d was strong on classism over all and judging by the cheers in the room \u2013 an effective one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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After the halfway mark, with just 10 performances remaining, Moldova\u2019s rapper Satoshi performed the cheekily patriotic \u201cViva, Moldova!\u201d with his full heart, in several languages, in a chorus so addictive it almost recalls the anthemic work of anthemic Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The glitz, the pomp, the extravaganza<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Ukrainian singer Lel\u00e9ka offered the ethereal, beautiful \u201cRidnym,\u201d and Australian star Delta Goodrem<\/a> showed what a diva should be like with her slick midtempo ballad \u201cEclipse\u201d \u2014 and a bravura performance that saw her raised into the air above a glittery piano. Id she wins, a European country would likely host for Australia next year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Serbian metal band Lavina provided a dramatic change of pace with the angst \u201cKraj Mene.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Aidan\u2019s big-feelings \u201cBella,\u201d Malta\u2019s Eurovision entry, was all about romance: strings, big belts, swooning instrumentation. It was also one of few Eurovision entries from Malta to feature the Maltese language.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Czech Republic put their hopes in Daniel \u017di\u017eka\u2019s \u201cCrossroads,\u201d a restrained pop ballad that builds to a triumphant chorus. Bulgaria\u2019s Dara, a veteran pop performer at this stage, delivered an up-tempo pop banger \u201cBangaranga,\u201d easily one of the most animated tracks of the bunch this year. And on stage, it was a mood elevator.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Vocals, sure. But stunning visuals, too<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Even before the show\u2019s halfway mark, there was already fire, smoke, animal prints and lots of sunglasses worn inside. Lavina, a metal band from Serbia, performed in a digital rainfall as well as burst of flames in studded leather, \u201cMad Max\u201d-looking costumes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Albania\u2019s Alis used a smoke-filled stage with digital wings and a clock, inviting a woman depicting a mother onto the stage in a traditional folk dress for his driving, gloomy track, \u201cN\u00e2n.\u201d Sarah Engels of Germany added pyrotechnics to her \u201cFire,\u201d naturally, and Delta Goodrem of Australia added a shimmering golden piano, fire and enough wind machines to power a small town.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Greece\u2019s Akylas was playful with his pounding house track \u201cFerto,\u201d dressed in tiger-striped shorts and a knit hat and using a scooter to glide along the stage, adding human statues. Ukraine needed only beams of light, a blowing curtain effect and Leleka\u2019s powerhouse vocals as she delivered \u201cRidnym.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

First performers take the stage<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Denmark\u2019s all-Danish-language Eurovision entry was first with S\u00f8ren Torpegaard\u2019s \u201cF\u00f8r Vi G\u00e5r Hjem,\u201d which he delivered with the specific skillset of someone who has starred as Tony in \u201cWest Side Story,\u201d Angel in \u201cKinky Boots\u201d and Romeo in \u201cRomeo & Juliet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sarah Engels followed, representing her home country of Germany with \u201cFire.\u201d As the second performer of the night, she took the opportunity to bring pyrotechnics to the stage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Then came Noam Bettan\u2019s \u201cMichelle\u201d \u2014 Israel\u2019s inclusion in Eurovision, which has drawn criticisms. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland withdrew from the competition this year, choosing not to participate to protest Israel\u2019s inclusion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Most recently, Bettan\u2019s performance was disrupted by protesters during the first semifinal on Tuesday; chants of \u201cStop the genocide!\u201d were heard in the crowd. At the final, it wasn\u2019t immediately clear if that continued.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Belgium\u2019s Essyla took the stage with \u201cDancing on the Ice\u201d \u2014 a cool ride with its chilly vocal performance and Billie Eilish-informed<\/a> production, followed by Albania\u2019s Alis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Protesters call for Israel\u2019s exit from Eurovision ahead of the show<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Protesters called for Israel to be excluded from Eurovision demonstrated near the contest arena ahead of the final. Several hundred marched, with chants of \u201call of Vienna hates the ESC,\u201d a reference to the Eurovision Song Contest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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They were kept well away from the venue which lies behind a police security cordon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Demonstrator Echo Vinasha Lex said it was \u201cimportant to protest against that idea that the song contest is not political. The song contest is a very political event.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A tribute to the host as the Eurovision final kicks off<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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At the start, a filmed opening montage showcased Austria\u2019s majestic scenery as a paper boat made its way to Vienna \u2014 a reference to 2025 Eurovision winner JJ\u2019s storm-tossed performance of \u201cWasted Love.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The show opened with a performance by last year\u2019s winner, the operatically trained Austrian singer JJ, and an Olympic-style flag parade of the 25 finalists. Then it was on to performances by the musicians, who have just 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The hosts for the extravaganza on Saturday are Michael Ostrowski, an Austrian actor best known for German-language comedy films, and Victoria Swarovski, a model, singer, TV presenter and heir to the Swarovski crystal and luxury goods business.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Eurovision director hails \u2018brilliant\u2019 show amid protests<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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The head of the Eurovision Song Contest has urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the \u201cbrilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show\u201d that is the competition\u2019s grand final.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As the contest turns 70 with calls for Israel to be kicked out over the conduct of its war in Gaza and a five-country boycott, Eurovision director Martin Green said the contest is a chance for a few hours to \u201cclose the curtains to the outside world and dream that something else is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He told a news conference that for 70 years Eurovision has given \u201cvoice to the voiceless\u201d and celebrated marginalized communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHere\u2019s to the next 70 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n