Bulgaria wins Eurovision for first time; Israel comes second amid boycott
Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 2026, with singer Dara performing the song 'Bangaranga' at the event held in Vienna. Israel finished in second place, sparking a historic political boycott by five countries over its military actions in Gaza. The contest was marked by protests, tightened voting rules, and debates over Israel's participation.
- ▪Bulgarian singer Dara won Eurovision 2026 with the song 'Bangaranga', marking Bulgaria's first victory in the contest's history.
- ▪Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia boycotted the contest over Israel's participation due to its war in Gaza.
- ▪Israel finished second for the second consecutive year, despite protests and calls for exclusion from the competition.
- ▪Eurovision organizers introduced stricter voting rules following allegations of Israeli lobbying for votes.
- ▪Protesters gathered in Vienna, and Spanish broadcaster RTVE refused to air the contest in protest of Israel's inclusion.
5 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 14 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 2 lean left, 2 centre.
- ▪ Bulgaria Wins Eurovision 2026 With Dara’s ‘Bangaranga’ — Rolling Stone
- ▪ Bulgaria's 'Bangaranga' wins Eurovision, with Israel second — France 24 (EN)
- ▪ Dara’s ‘Bangaranga’ Wins Eurovision 2026 for Bulgaria — Billboard
- ▪ Watch: Bulgaria wins Eurovision as Dara celebrates historic victory — Euronews
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| Original publisher | Al Jazeera English |
| Canonical URL | https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/17/bulgaria-wins-eurovision-for-first-time-israel-comes-second-amid-boycott?traffic_source=rss |
| Publication time | Sun, 17 May 2026 08:42:47 +0000 |
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News|MusicBulgaria wins Eurovision for first time; Israel comes second amid boycottSpain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia stage the biggest political boycott in Eurovision history over Israel participating, citing its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.ListenListen (3 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoBulgaria's Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, aka Dara, celebrates with the trophy after winning the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, Austria, on May 16, 2026 [Tobias Schwarz/AFP]By AFP, AP and ReutersPublished On 17 May 202617 May 2026Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time as Israel, whose participation had triggered a boycott from five…
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