Bulgarian pop star Dara has won the Eurovision Song Contest with her pneumatic dance anthem Bangaranga. The 27-year-old topped both the public and the jury vote in a nail-biting conclusion, soaring ahead of Israel in second and Romania in third to score a massive 516 points.

Bulgaria’s First-Ever Eurovision Title

Dara was far from a front-runner going into the contest, but her complex choreography and naggingly catchy chorus helped her eclipse the competition, giving Bulgaria its first ever Eurovision title. The UK. However, continued its run of disastrous results — Look Mum No Computer’s song Eins, Zwei, Drei took last place, with one solitary point from the Ukrainian jury.

UK’s Third Last Place in Three Years

The musician predicted his downfall earlier in the week, admitting that his synth-driven track was “Marmite, you either love it or hate it.” After the contest, he put a positive spin on his loss. It is the third time since 2020 that the UK has placed last.

The top five of the leaderboard looked like this: Bulgaria: Dara – Bangaranga (516 points); Israel: Noam Bettan – Michelle (343 points); Romania: Alexandra Căpitănescu – Choke Me (296 points); Australia: Delta Goodrem – Eclipse (287 points); Italy: Sal Da Vinci – Per Sempre (281 points).

Unlike Look Mum No Computer. Who is best known for a YouTube channel where he builds eccentric contraptions, Dara is a major pop star in her home country. Her songs and videos have amassed over 80 million listens and views, including the number one single Thunder, and she is a coach on the country’s version of the TV talent show The Voice.

Lyrics and Cultural Significance

To the uninitiated. Bangaranga seems cast in the mould of nonsensical Eurovision songs like Diggi-Loo, Diggi-Ley — but the title actually means “uproar” in Jamaican patois. The lyrics address Dara’s commitment to overcoming anxiety and ADHD, which she was diagnosed with last year.

“Bangaranga is something that everyone’s got in themselves,” she explained. “It’s the moment you choose to lead with love, not fear.” Her performance came with whiplash-inducing choreography, based on the ancient Bulgarian tradition of Kukeri, in which masked performers chase away evil spirits.

Before the grand final, it also earned the singer an award for the year’s best staging, voted for by commentators, including the UK’s Graham Norton. The UK was among the many countries who gave Bangaranga 12 points in the public vote.

Speaking backstage after lifting the crystal microphone trophy, Dara said: “I want to thank everybody who felt the Bangaranga and felt connected to the force.” Bulgarian National Television also confirmed next year’s contest will be held in the country’s capital, Sofia.

The run-up to this year’s contest was overshadowed by protests over Israel’s participation, due to the death toll of the war in Gaza. Five countries boycotted the event, including Spain, Iceland and seven-time winners Ireland. In Vienna, there were protests in the city centre ahead of the grand final.

Protests were also anticipated during Israel’s performance, after singer Noam Bettan was heckled with anti-Israel chants during Tuesday’s semi-final. However, there were no disturbances during his song, Michelle, a heartfelt Mediterranean love song, that took second place.