Bulgaria has won the 70th Eurovision song contest with singer Dara’s party anthem “Bangaranga.”
Dara beat 24 other competitors during Saturday’s grand final in the Austrian capital Vienna. The song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine was a massive hit with both viewers and national juries.
It’s Bulgaria’s first-ever victory at Eurovision.
Dara is one of the most well-known pop acts in the modern Balkan music scene and a mentor on “The Voice Bulgaria,” but had not been among the favorites to win.
Until the final public vote was announced it appeared as if Israel's Noam Bettan was set to win the contest.
Bettan was loudly cheered, though there was a smattering of boos as he performed “Michelle,” a rock ballad in Hebrew, French and English.
Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu came third with the provocatively titled rock song “Choke Me.” Australian star Delta Goodrem was fourth with the slick midtempo ballad “Eclipse,” and Italian crooner Sal Da Vinci came fifth with “Per Sempre Si,” or “Forever Yes.”
The Finnish duo of pop star Pete Parkkonen and classical violinist Linda Lampenius, who were strong favorite on betting markets, ended up in sixth place.
Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic said the contest often produces surprises.
“Eurovision has never really been a contest for big stars. It’s largely been a contest for underdogs,” Vuletic said. “People like to see the underdog on stage. They like to the artist-in-the-making on stage or an artist from a smaller, poorer country on stage.”
Pop and politics
There was tight security around the venue and across the Austrian capital with pre-show demonstrations erupting over Israel's participation and its war on Gaza which led to five countries choosing to boycott the proceedings.
Hundreds marched near the contest arena before Saturday's final, some holding placards saying “Block Eurovision.” Pro-Palestinian groups also staged an outdoor concert on Friday under the banner “No stage for genocide.”
For some, this the 70th year of the world's biggest and oldest song contest will go down as perhaps its most divisive in recent times after months of protest and infighting.
Spain was the biggest nation to have stepped aside as a key contributor to Eurovision. As a member of the 'Big 5', it guarantees the economic viability of the contest, so its absence generated a financial and potentially large audience gap for the EBU to fill.
The four other countries which boycotted the ceremony were Ireland, The Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia.
Pomp and performance
The musicians had just 3 minutes to win over viewers and Bulgaria's Dara can boast she effectively used each and every second.
“Bangaranga” is the sort of pop banger that Eurovision does so well, with its irresistible exhortation: “Surrender to the blinding lights. No one’s gonna sleep tonight. Welcome to the riot.”
She was one of several female artists who moved the crowd with a powerful performance. Others of note included Germany’s Sarah Engels with a soulful ballad, a gospel-tinged R&B song from Poland’s Alicja, Ukraine’s Leléka enchanted the audience with her act, while Sweden Felicia and France's Monroe separately opted for techno-pop and opera-pop.
If you couldn't watch or follow the entertainment in Vienna, do check out our blog below as we followed each act, our assessment of the performances and the drama of the vote.
