Bulgaria made Eurovision history on Saturday night, taking home its first-ever win thanks to DARA and her infectious dance track “Bangaranga”. But while the performance brought plenty of energy to the stage in Vienna, the 70th edition of the contest unfolded against one of the most politically tense backdrops Eurovision has faced in years.
Five countries — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotted the competition over Israel’s participation, cutting the line-up down to just 35 entries, the smallest Eurovision field since 2003.
The withdrawals shifted attention away from the usual Eurovision spectacle and raised fresh questions about how the contest handles political pressure during global conflicts.
Israel still emerged as one of the night’s biggest talking points. Its trilingual love song “Michelle” shot up the leaderboard after the public vote was revealed, securing second place for the second year running.
The reaction inside the arena was mixed, with some boos audible as the points came in. Earlier in the week, organisers had also warned Israeli broadcaster KAN over promotional videos encouraging viewers to vote, although the clips were later removed.
Amid all the controversy, DARA’s performance stood out because it largely avoided politics altogether. “Bangaranga” leaned fully into club-pop escapism, with pounding beats, bold staging and a title that immediately sparked online debate.
When asked what the word actually meant, DARA described it as a feeling rather than a literal phrase — about letting go of fear, embracing the moment and choosing joy.
Several fan favourites failed to turn buzz into votes. Finland’s fiery performance of “Liekinheitin”, featuring violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen on a dramatic burning stage set, ultimately finished sixth. Australia’s Delta Goodrem also missed out on the top spots, with her space-inspired ballad “Eclipse” landing in fourth place.
Outside the arena, Vienna remained far calmer than many expected. Police had prepared for possible disruption, but only small protests took place across the week. A brief interruption during Tuesday’s semi-final was quickly handled by security, and Saturday’s grand final went ahead without major incidents.
