Bulgaria wins Eurovision as Israel finishes second amid protests

Singer Dara won the contest with 516 points from juries and televoters

Bulgarian singer Dara won the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna with the energetic dance track Bangaranga. Israel’s Noam Bettan finished second despite international protests over his country’s participation and boos from parts of the audience.

Dara’s victory came as a surprise to some, as bookmakers had heavily favored Finland’s Pete Parkkonen and violinist Linda Lampenius, as well as Australian singer Delta Goodrem. However, Dara won both the jury vote and the televote, earning a total of 516 points.

Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia chose not to participate this year after organizers refused calls to expel Israel over the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Nevertheless, the televote propelled Bettan to second place with a total of 343 points.

READ MORE: How Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 led to the contest’s biggest boycott

Sections of the audience booed and jeered during the Israeli singer’s performance of the ballad Michelle, which featured lyrics in French, Hebrew, and English. Boos were also heard when Bettan received points, while chants of “Stop the genocide!” could be heard during the broadcast on Eurovision’s official YouTube channel.

Last year, Israel was represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 2023 Hamas attack on the Nova music festival. Despite boos from sections of the audience, she won the televote and finished second overall.

May 17, 2026 at 05:06AM
RT