Bulgaria’s ‘Bangaranga’ wins Eurovision with Australia 4th, Greece 10th and Cyprus 19th

Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest connected Sunday with Dara’s catchy floor-filler “Bangaranga” sweeping the 70th variation of the world’s biggest unrecorded televised euphony lawsuit and pushing into 2nd spot Israel, whose information had triggered a large boycott.

Bulgaria has missed the past three editions of the glitzy extravaganza but took the crown successful Vienna for the archetypal clip ever, overtaking Israel astatine the very extremity arsenic the points came in, with Romania finishing third.

Pop vocalist Darina Yotova, known arsenic Dara, was not among the favourites going into Eurovision week but the 27-year-old gained traction pursuing a strong show successful the semi-finals, with her highly-choreographed creation routines.

“Everything is possible: Bulgaria conscionable won Eurovision!” Dara told a property conference.

“I truly similar breaking rules. I’m truly bully with pursuing my rules — not anybody else’s.

“We wanted to springiness to the assemblage something caller and fresh, something that is not expected.”

Akylas from Greece performs the τραγούδι “Ferto” during the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest successful Vienna, Austria. Photo: AP Photo/Martin Meissner via AAP

Greece, Cyprus and Australia

Akylas with “Ferto” finished successful 10th spot with 220 points, while Cyprus, represented by Antigoni Buxton and the τραγούδι “Jalla”, finished 19th with 75 points.

The Greek introduction received votes from the juries of 14 countries.

The countries were: San Marino (6), Estonia (3), Israel (5), Australia (2), Sweden (4), Albania (2), Cyprus (12), Montenegro (6), Armenia (3), Poland (8), Latvia (1), Serbia (12), Moldova (8) and Austria (1).

Crossing unrecorded to Athens, Klavdia announced that Greece’s 12 points would spell to Cyprus.

As for the Australian nationalist vote, 12 points went to Bulgaria, 10 to Finland and 8 to Greece. Croatia received 7 points, Romania 6, Moldova 5, Malta 4, Denmark 3, Norway 2 and France 1.

‘Magnificent story’

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov connected Facebook hailed a “magnificent story of immense talent, tireless effort, and religion successful success, against each criticism.”

Around 10,000 glammed-up fans filled the Wiener Stadthalle arena successful the Austrian superior to watch Saturday’s showpiece last of Eurovision, where, arsenic always, the razzmatazz didn’t flight the geopolitics successful the background.

Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia staged the biggest governmental boycott successful Eurovision past implicit Israel’s participation, citing the war successful Gaza.

And it looked arsenic though Noam Bettan was going to win the contention for Israel with his τραγούδι “Michelle” pursuing a large people successful the televoting from the nationalist astir Europe.

But arsenic Bulgaria’s televote points were revealed, Dara ultimately won by a comfy margin.

Bulgaria finished with 516 points, up of Israel connected 343, Romania connected 296, Australia connected 287, Italy with 281 and Finland connected 279.

It was the 2nd year successful a enactment that Israel finished runners-up.

Johannes Pietsch, known arsenic JJ, who won Eurovision 2025 for Austria with his τραγούδι “Wasted Love”, handed implicit the winner’s trophy to Dara.

JJ had opened Saturday’s philharmonic extravaganza with a motion to Austria’s expansive philharmonic history, singing the “Queen of the Night” aria from composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1791 opera “The Magic Flute”.

“Bangaranga, it’s a feeling that everybody has got successful themselves,” Dara said earlier Sunday arsenic the votes were coming in.

“It’s the infinitesimal that you take to pb done emotion and not fear, and this is simply a special vigor that I cognize everybody has got successful themselves.”

Fans streaming retired of the arena revelled successful Dara’s triumph.

“I didn’t similar the τραγούδι astatine first,… but I saw it, I saw the performance, and I was stunned,” said Katerina, a Eurovision instrumentality from Greece.

Finnish fiddling, Romanian choking

The bookmakers’ overwhelming favourites going into the last were the Finnish double-act of violinist Linda Lampenius and popular vocalist Pete Parkkonen, with their τραγούδι “Liekinheitin”, oregon “Flamethrower”.

As the τραγούδι built to a climax, 56-year-old Lampenius was shredding her bow arsenic she worked her way to the very top of the fingerboard.

Romanian vocalist Alexandra Capitanescu’s switched up the vibe with the 22-year-old’s dense metallic τραγούδι “Choke Me” triggering contention successful the build-up implicit its repeated lyric: “I want you to choke me”.

Australia’s Delta Goodrem, who has sold 9 cardinal albums, came 4th aft wowing the crowds with her τραγούδι “Eclipse”, which was filled with strong moments, ending with her soaring precocious connected a riser coming up retired of a glittering piano.

Serbian metallers Lavina had the deepest throat-shredding growl of the night, the Czech Republic’s Daniel Zizka navigated a hallway of mirrors, while Lithuania’s silver-painted Lion Ceccah brought an aerial of brooding mystery.

Protests

Some 166 cardinal viewers watched the contention connected television past year when it was hosted successful Basel.

Earlier Saturday, hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched past chanting “boycott Eurovision” and carrying banners speechmaking “Don’t observe genocide”.

Spanish nationalist broadcaster RTVE – traditionally 1 of Eurovision’s large backers – not lone boycotted but refused to surface the show.

As it began, it showed the message: “The Eurovision Song Contest is simply a competition, but quality rights are not. There is nary country for indifference. Peace and justness for Palestine.”

Belgian broadcaster VRT said up of the last that it was unlikely to vie successful adjacent year’s Eurovision if the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the event, did not clasp a nonstop vote connected Israel’s information successful the contest.

Source: AFP