Bulgarian singer Dara’s dance anthem “Bangaranga” won the Eurovision Song Contest held on Saturday in Vienna, her country’s first ever win in the competition. Tight security and rainy weather failed to dent the enthusiasm of the contest's fans — or that of the critics who said Israel should not have been invited to the party.
The up-tempo pop banger “Bangaranga,” was a mood elevator on the stage early in the night and earned 516 points while Israel
followed in second place with 343.
Missing from this year’s spectacle were five countries — Spain,, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland, high-profile absentees who boycotting in protest of Israel’s inclusion in the contest following the war in Gaza.
But after a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries took the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena to battle for the continent’s pop crown in what was the 70th rendition of the contest.
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Dara beat 24 other competitors in the grand final.. The song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine was a hit with both viewers and national juries.
The song earned 516 points while Israel followed in second place with 343. Moments after she was named the winner, Dara launched into “Bangaranga” for a second time Saturday night.
Winners are decided by a mix of votes from national juries and the viewing public who vote online, by phone or by text message.
Juries award points to their favorite acts on a scale of 1 to 12. The hosts will go to a spokesperson from each of the 35 countries that competed, who will announce which country will receive the coveted “douze points” — 12 points.
After that, the public vote from each country is added in, and the leader board can change dramatically. It’s a slow process that builds suspense and milks the tension of the competition.
Norway’s Jonas Lovv and his entry “Ya Ya Ya” offered simple, repetitive power chords, silky-smooth vocals and a chant-along chorus that spans nation and language as the crowd cheered along, “Ya Ya Ya.”.
Romania’s entry was a Lady Gaga ’s nu-metal sister, Alexandra Căpitănescu, with her “Choke me.” And for the final entry, Austria's Cosmó with “Tanzschein” was a disco, techno-pop romp — and an ideal way to close the night’s performances.
After all 25 Eurovision finalists performed their songs, the audience is treated to a period of interval entertainment while voting lines remain open a bit longer while votes from across Europe and beyond are tallied.
Finland’s entry electrified, an early favorite in the competition with “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” an animated mashup of pop singer Pete Parkkonen’s anguished vocals and violinist Linda Lampenius’ fiery fiddling.
Alicja, the entry for Poland, was betting on voters awarding big points to big vocals with her song “Pray” bringing up images of gospel music. Lion Ceccah, a prominent figure in Lithuania’s drag scene,iwas responsible for one of the more interesting entries with his trilingual “Sólo Quiero Más” (“I Just Want More”), an emotive synth-pop that plays out like a film noir.
Sweden’s Felicia wore a facemask as she rendered her “My System,” which wasn’t for the faint of heart. Cyprus’ Antigoni delivered a joyous “Jalla,” a summery pop song that weaves in traditional Cypriot instrumentation, including çifteli and lute, making it the perfect soundtrack to the beach vacation in your brain.
Italy's classist vocalist Sal Da Vinci sand his heart out to a new love with “Per Sempre Sì,” a fun vintage romp for those who miss the Eurovision of yore.
Croatia’s Lelek channeled something ancient and powerful with their goth-y folk “Andromeda.” Their stacked harmonies were only emboldened by their physical appearance: The women wore marks on their face and body meant to look like the same used to repel the Ottoman Empire.
The U.K.’s Look Mum No Computer with its “Eins, Zwei, Drei” was a thoughtful critique of the mundanity of labor but also catchy, synth-pop and goofy. Their stage design was also one of the most fun: soulless rectangular desks became imaginative platforms, like an alternative universe nightclub in space.
From France, Monroe’s “Regarde!” was strong on classism over all and judging by the cheers in the room – an effective one.
After the halfway mark, with just 10 performances remaining, Moldova’s rapper Satoshi performed the cheekily patriotic “Viva, Moldova!” with his full heart, in several languages, in a chorus so addictive it almost recalls the anthemic work of anthemic Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap.
Ukrainian singer Leléka offered the ethereal, beautiful “Ridnym,” and Australian star Delta Goodrem showed what a diva should be like with her slick midtempo ballad “Eclipse” — and a bravura performance that saw her raised into the air above a glittery piano. Id she wins, a European country would likely host for Australia next year.
Serbian metal band Lavina provided a dramatic change of pace with the angst “Kraj Mene.”
Aidan’s big-feelings “Bella,” Malta’s Eurovision entry, was all about romance: strings, big belts, swooning instrumentation. It was also one of few Eurovision entries from Malta to feature the Maltese language.
The Czech Republic put their hopes in Daniel Žižka’s “Crossroads,” a restrained pop ballad that builds to a triumphant chorus. Bulgaria’s Dara, a veteran pop performer at this stage, delivered an up-tempo pop banger “Bangaranga,” easily one of the most animated tracks of the bunch this year. And on stage, it was a mood elevator.
Even before the show’s halfway mark, there was already fire, smoke, animal prints and lots of sunglasses worn inside. Lavina, a metal band from Serbia, performed in a digital rainfall as well as burst of flames in studded leather, “Mad Max”-looking costumes.
Albania’s Alis used a smoke-filled stage with digital wings and a clock, inviting a woman depicting a mother onto the stage in a traditional folk dress for his driving, gloomy track, “Nân.” Sarah Engels of Germany added pyrotechnics to her “Fire,” naturally, and Delta Goodrem of Australia added a shimmering golden piano, fire and enough wind machines to power a small town.
Greece’s Akylas was playful with his pounding house track “Ferto,” dressed in tiger-striped shorts and a knit hat and using a scooter to glide along the stage, adding human statues. Ukraine needed only beams of light, a blowing curtain effect and Leleka’s powerhouse vocals as she delivered “Ridnym.”
Denmark’s all-Danish-language Eurovision entry was first with Søren Torpegaard’s “Før Vi Går Hjem,” which he delivered with the specific skillset of someone who has starred as Tony in “West Side Story,” Angel in “Kinky Boots” and Romeo in “Romeo & Juliet.”
Sarah Engels followed, representing her home country of Germany with “Fire.” As the second performer of the night, she took the opportunity to bring pyrotechnics to the stage.
Then came Noam Bettan’s “Michelle” — Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision, which has drawn criticisms. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland withdrew from the competition this year, choosing not to participate to protest Israel’s inclusion.
Most recently, Bettan’s performance was disrupted by protesters during the first semifinal on Tuesday; chants of “Stop the genocide!” were heard in the crowd. At the final, it wasn’t immediately clear if that continued.
Belgium’s Essyla took the stage with “Dancing on the Ice” — a cool ride with its chilly vocal performance and Billie Eilish-informed production, followed by Albania’s Alis.
Protesters called for Israel to be excluded from Eurovision demonstrated near the contest arena ahead of the final. Several hundred marched, with chants of “all of Vienna hates the ESC,” a reference to the Eurovision Song Contest.
They were kept well away from the venue which lies behind a police security cordon.
Demonstrator Echo Vinasha Lex said it was “important to protest against that idea that the song contest is not political. The song contest is a very political event.”
At the start, a filmed opening montage showcased Austria’s majestic scenery as a paper boat made its way to Vienna — a reference to 2025 Eurovision winner JJ’s storm-tossed performance of “Wasted Love.”
The show opened with a performance by last year’s winner, the operatically trained Austrian singer JJ, and an Olympic-style flag parade of the 25 finalists. Then it was on to performances by the musicians, who have just 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.
The hosts for the extravaganza on Saturday are Michael Ostrowski, an Austrian actor best known for German-language comedy films, and Victoria Swarovski, a model, singer, TV presenter and heir to the Swarovski crystal and luxury goods business.
The head of the Eurovision Song Contest has urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show” that is the competition’s grand final.
As the contest turns 70 with calls for Israel to be kicked out over the conduct of its war in Gaza and a five-country boycott, Eurovision director Martin Green said the contest is a chance for a few hours to “close the curtains to the outside world and dream that something else is possible.”
He told a news conference that for 70 years Eurovision has given “voice to the voiceless” and celebrated marginalized communities.
“Here’s to the next 70 years,” he said.
