Bulgaria’s ‘Bangaranga’ Wins Eurovision, Israel Finishes in Second

Bulgaria won a raucous, contentious Eurovision on Saturday, topping Israel in what turned into both a musical and geopolitical nailbiter in its final moments.

Sitting outside most oddsmakers’ top five coming into Saturday’s final in Vienna, Bulgaria improbably won both the overall jury vote and the popular vote among the 25 national finalists thanks to pop star Dara’s dance-hall thumper “Bangaranga” and went on to collect its first-ever Eurovision title. Nobody knows what “Bangaranga” means, but Dara said at the show Saturday it’s the “feeling that everybody gets in themselves the moment you choose to lead through love and not fear.”

But Bulgaria was only one of the big news stories of the night. In a year marked by boycotts and heckles over Israel’s participation, the Middle Eastern country’s “Michelle” surged into the lead midway through the popular vote after finishing eighth in the jury vote, and held that lead until the last possible second, when Bulgaria’s tally was announced. (The winner is decided by a 50-50 weight of national juries and public phone voting.)

The presence of Israel’s Noam Bettan in a dramatic final-two split-screen with Bulgaria’s Dara during the ceremony’s closing seconds prompted both booing and Jewish-solidarity calls of “Am Yisrael Chai” in the background, as the entire world — or at least the 160 million or so people who watch Eurovision — held their breath on who would finish first.

Bulgaria achieved its first win ever, having joined only in 2005 and failing to even making it to the final day in all but five previous competitions. Israel joined Eurovision in 1973 and was seeking its fifth overall title. The country also finished in second last year as Nova Massacre survivor Yuval Raphael, also a writer on “Michelle,” captured a large section of the public vote.

Long a Super Bowl-esque ode to global unity (if a pyro-heavy candy-colored one), Eurovision in recent years has become a more somber political affair beneath its silly surface. Russia’s participation in 2015 shortly after its annexation of Crimea generated backlash, and the country would later go on to be banned after its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine; the latter would win Eurovision the same year in an apparent solidarity play from voters and jurors.

Calls for an Israel ban from some members began after the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza. Israel would finish fifth in 2024 amid heavy security and threats against performer Eden Golan; the country then rose to second last year with Raphael. Five countries, including Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, Iceland and the Netherlands, declined to compete in Eurovision this year as a protest over Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, prompting a financial crisis for the institution.

A child of French immigrants to Israel, Bettan climbed the standings thanks to the rousing toxic-love story anthem “Michelle,” which, though it seems like a standard-issue symphonic pop song, has become regarded by some as a metaphor for Jews’ fractious relationship with Europe. Bettan faced “Free Palestine” heckles in the semifinals and even rehearsed with simulated boos to prepare for the evening. Israel tends to do better in the popular vote than the jury vote, though did earn high jury scores from Poland and Moldova on Saturday night.

Organizers had sent a letter to Israeli broadcaster Kan asking it to curb its campaigning among the public after some anti-Israel critics said its lobbying tactics went over the line and helped the country reach second place last year. The letter raised eyebrows among some pro-Israel voices who noted other countries’ broadcasters and governments engage in similar campaign practices. Kan halted the practices but the network appeared to be vindicated as Israel finished in second place again anyway.

Romania finished in third with don’t-call-it-a-sex-song “Choke Me,” sung by the goth-attired physics graduate student Alexandra Căpitănescu. Pre-final favorites Finland, Australia and Greece all finished outside the top three. Australia had rode a wave of momentum coming out of the semifinals as it sought its first title since joining Eurovision eleven years ago but notched only a fourth-place finish.

Finland in particular was a favorite throughout the competition with a dramatic, star-laden production. The Millennial pop star Pete Parkkonen and Gen X violinist Linda Lampenius teamed up for “Liekinheitin,” about Parkkonen’s conflicted romantic feelings. But the country only managed a sixth-place finish.

The event closed a week-long competition at Vienna’s Stadthalle with 25 countries competing in the final. Amid protests and counterprotests, the scene in the city in recent days grew tense. Vienna deployed 500 private security personnel, 180 new cameras and a host of counter-drones and sniffer dogs to counter threats. City officials also teamed up with an FBI task force in New York to monitor cyber threats. 

Next year’s final will now be held in Bulgaria in keeping with the tradition of the show moving to the country of the winning broadcaster. The spandex and flashing lights will follow, and politics won’t be far behind.

The final Eurovision 2026 standings: