Bulgaria cheers Dara's 'Bangaranga' and country's first Eurovision win

Bulgarians celebrated on May 17 their country's surprise first win in the Eurovision Song Contest as they prepared to welcome home Dara, who triumphed with her catchy, crowd-pleasing, optimistic dance track "Bangaranga."

Prime Minister Rumen Radev took to Facebook to congratulate Dara (aka Darina Nikolaeva Yotova), who is expected to return to Bulgaria on Sunday.

He said that Bulgaria awaits Europe and the world when the capital city Sofia is expected to host the 71st Eurovision next year.

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova said on X that the 27-year-old pop musician was Bulgaria's greatest young ambassador and her victory proved that "talent, courage and hard work" could help meet any goal.

As the world grapples with uncertainty, war and rising inflation, Dara said "Bangaranga" was "a quiet belief that everything's going to be all right."

"Nobody believed that we can win and that 'Bangaranga' can win, and having this love from all the juries and all the audience tonight. It feels like a dream. I don't know if I am sleeping or is it reality?" she told a news conference on May 16, the night of her win.

The garish and usually good-natured competition involving pop acts from countries across Europe and beyond was plunged into crisis by a dispute over Israel's military offensive in Gaza, a response to the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

The public broadcasters of Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland, as well as Iceland and Slovenia, chose not to take part to protest Israel's participation. Israel has alleged a global smear campaign.

Israel finished second. The country's effort, trilingual love song "Michelle," stirred less controversy than its entry last year, which was sung by a survivor of the Oct. 7 attack.

Some booing from the audience was audible when Israel's massive points haul from the public vote sent it surging up the table from eighth place, similarly to 2025, when it also finished second but much closer to the winner than this year.

Finland's entry, "Liekinheitin," or Flamethrower, a love song in Finnish featuring violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen on a burning set, was the favorite this year, followed by Australia's "Eclipse," a celestial-themed love ballad sung by pop star Delta Goodrem.

Australia came in fourth and Finland sixth.

At least 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 attack, most of them civilians. Israel responded by launching an assault on the enclave that has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and left much of Gaza in ruins.

The boycotts cut the number of contest entries to 35, the fewest since 2003.