Bulgaria has won Eurovision 2026 in one of the most tense and political finals in the recent history of the festival. The singer Dara won in Vienna with Bangaranga, an urban song with Bulgarian folk roots, and achieved 516 points, enough to give her country the first victory in its history in the contest. Israel, represented by Noam Bettan with Michelle, came in second place with 343 points.
The Bulgarian victory avoided an outcome that would have further escalated the festival's crisis: a victory for Israel in an edition marked by the boycott of five countries, including Spain, due to Israel's presence in the competition during the war in Gaza. RTVE did not participate or broadcast the final, something unprecedented since 1961, and at the start time of the festival, it issued a message in support of Palestine: "Eurovision is a contest, human rights are not."
The final also left another political bombshell: the debate over a possible return of Russia. Martin Green, Eurovision's director, stated in an interview that the invasion of another country is not, in itself, an automatic reason for exclusion from the contest, which provoked a harsh reaction from RTVE. Later, Green clarified that there are no ongoing conversations for Russia's return.
Bulgaria wins Eurovision for the first time with Dara and ‘Bangaranga’
The big surprise of the night was Bulgaria. Dara, 27, took home the Crystal Microphone with Bangaranga, a song with urban energy and a pop base that connected with both the professional jury and the televote. The victory has historical significance: Bulgaria had never won Eurovision since its debut in the contest.
The triumph also comes after several years of intermittent participation by the country. Bulgaria had been absent in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions, citing economic difficulties, and returned this year with a result that completely changes its position within the festival.
Now an important question arises: whether Bulgaria will be able to host Eurovision 2027. Winning also implies assuming the enormous costs of production, security, venue, broadcasting, and logistics. The musical success is undeniable; the economic challenge begins now.
Israel comes in second and once again relies on the televote
Israel was the other big protagonist of the night. Noam Bettan, with Michelle, finished second with 343 points, decisively boosted by the popular vote. The result confirms that Israel maintains an enormous televoting mobilization capacity, even in an edition marked by the rejection of several European public television channels.
According to the chronicle of El País, Israel received 220 points from the televote, a very high figure although lower than the popular appeal of other recent editions. The Israeli presence once again concentrated a good part of the political attention of the final and kept the festival in an uncomfortable position: formally musical, but fully permeated by geopolitics.
The tension had been building up. The organization had warned Israel about advertisements on social networks in several languages, including messages in Spanish, in which it asked for public votes to be concentrated on its candidacy, as reported by El País. The case reopened doubts about televoting, digital promotion, and the limits of campaigning in a contest that tries to project neutrality but is increasingly under political pressure.
Spain, out of Eurovision for the first time since 1961
Spain's absence was one of the major keys to Eurovision 2026. RTVE decided not to participate or broadcast the festival due to Israel's presence, an unprecedented decision since 1961. The public broadcaster thus joined other countries that withdrew from the contest in protest against Israeli participation.
The Spanish decision also had a very clear television translation: RTVE did not broadcast the final and programmed a musical alternative. But the most powerful gesture came precisely at 9:00 PM, coinciding with the start of Eurovision, when it broadcast a message in Spanish and English with a black background and white letters.
The text read: “Eurovision is a contest, human rights are not. There is no room for indifference. Peace and justice for Palestine.” It was a brief phrase, designed to circulate, and with enormous political weight.
RTVE escalates clash with EBU
RTVE's message was not an isolated gesture. The Spanish public broadcaster had already launched a similar video in 2025 before the Basel final, but this year the difference is greater: Spain was already out of the contest.
RTVE has turned Eurovision 2026 into an institutional standoff with the European Broadcasting Union. The broadcaster argues that it cannot normalize Israel's participation while the offensive in Gaza continues, and the president of RTVE, José Pablo López, has been particularly critical of the festival's management.
That clash could mark Spain's future in Eurovision. Martin Green has said that the festival will do its best to win RTVE back, but the Spanish return seems to depend on more than just an invitation: it depends on how the EBU handles the Israel case and whether it manages to rebuild trust with the broadcasters that have abandoned the contest.
Russia returns to the debate and angers RTVE
The controversy was not limited to Israel. In the hours before the final, Martin Green opened another front by referring to Russia, expelled from the festival after the invasion of Ukraine. According to several media outlets, Green maintained that "invading another country is not a reason for automatic expulsion" from Eurovision and explained that the Russian suspension was based on the lack of independence of its public television from the government.
The remarks provoked an immediate reaction from José Pablo López, president of RTVE, who accused Eurovision management of fostering a double standard between Russia and Israel and of hindering Spain's return to the contest.
Green later clarified that there are no plans or ongoing discussions for a Russian return. But the political damage had already been done: Eurovision 2026 ended not only with a winner, but with the feeling that the festival has an unresolved crisis of coherence regarding its participation criteria.
Romania, Australia, and Finland complete the top tier
Beyond the Bulgaria-Israel standoff, the rankings held several surprises. Romania finished third with Alexandra Căpitănescu and Choke Me, a song that mixed rock and electronic music and received strong public support. Australia, with Delta Goodrem and Eclipse, came in fourth.
Finland, which was one of the favorites in the betting, ended up sixth, a result below expectations. The poor showing of Sweden, one of the Eurovision powerhouses, which finished far from the top positions, also drew attention.
The result confirms a constant of Eurovision: betting odds generate conversation, but do not always predict the real vote. In this edition, the jury was very divided, and the televote ended up clearly tipping the scales in favor of Bulgaria.
A final with fewer countries and more political tension
Eurovision 2026 was the edition with the fewest participating countries since 2004, with 35 delegations, according to RTVE. The drop is explained by the boycott of several countries against Israel's presence.
That reduction has economic and symbolic consequences. Each participating television pays fees to compete and broadcast the festival. Losing countries means losing revenue, audience, legitimacy, and diplomatic muscle within the Eurovision system.
That is why the festival's management is trying to broaden horizons. The debate is not only about how to win back Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, or Iceland. It is also about how to grow outside the traditional European map.
Canada and Eurovision Asia: the festival seeks new territories
In parallel to the European crisis, Eurovision is looking outwards. Martin Green has indicated that Canada has been invited to explore its entry, although there is not yet a formal application. The idea fits with a broader strategy: to turn Eurovision into a global brand, not just a European one.
The most concrete step has already been taken: Eurovision Song Contest Asia will debut on November 14, 2026, in Bangkok. The organization itself has confirmed that it will be the first major multinational expansion of the format and that Asian countries have already been confirmed to participate.
The move is important because it comes amid a crisis of legitimacy for the classic festival. While some European television stations are leaving for political reasons, the Eurovision brand is trying to open a new avenue for growth in Asia.