VIENNA (AP) — Bulgarian singer Dara won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest
on Saturday with her infectious party anthem “Bangaranga,” giving the
southeast European country its first-ever Eurovision victory.
Dara
beat 24 other competitors during Saturday’s grand final in Vienna. The
song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine proved a
hit with both national juries and viewers, whose votes together decide
the winner.
Dara
is an established name in her homeland and a mentor on “The Voice
Bulgaria,” but had not been among the favorites to win. Still,
“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.”
Dara
beat 24 other competitors during Saturday’s grand final in Vienna. The
song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine proved a
hit with both national juries and viewers, whose votes together decide
the winner.
Dara
is an established name in her homeland and a mentor on “The Voice
Bulgaria,” but had not been among the favorites to win. Still,
“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.”
[. . .] After a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries took the stage at the
Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna to battle for the continent’s pop
crown. Millions of viewers around the world cast judgment on a fiery
Finnish violinist, a Moldovan folk rapper, a Serbian metal band and many
more at Eurovision’s 70th anniversary event. . .
The campy, colorful contest has been likened to the World Cup with songs
instead of soccer. And like global sports, it often becomes entangled
in politics. The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for
Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with
five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotting in protest.
Linda
Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song
“Liekinheitin” during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song
Contest in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin
Meissner)
The political tensions have clouded a contest that over
the decades has given the world the perfect pop of ABBA’s “Waterloo”
and the ageless “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” — better known as “Volare” —
along with a host of Euro-pop party anthems.
The musicians had
just 3 minutes to win over viewers.
Jets of flame, glitter guns and wind
machines worked overtime in a show that celebrated Europe’s eclectic musical tastes.
DARA will represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song Bangaranga 🇧🇬
Credits:
K2ID Productions
Written by: Cristian Tarcea, Darina Yotova, Anne Judith Wik, Dimitris Kontopoulos
Choreographer: Kevin Kostov
Dancers: Vladyslava Stetsenko, Gabriela Aleksandrova, Ivo Ivanov, Victor Angelov
Colors: Denislav Marinov
Styling: Ivan Tsutsumanov
MUA: Eliza Popova
Hair: Georgi Petkov, Ceco Ivanov
~~~ Lyrics ~~~
Come alive
Surrender to the blinding lights
No one's gonna sleep tonight
Welcome to the riot
I'm the bangarang
Bangaranga bangaranga
Bangaranga
I'm the bangarang
Bangaranga bangaranga
Bangaranga, I'm the bangarang
Blinding lights
Welcome to the riot
I’m an angel
I’m a demon
I’m a psycho
For no reason
I'm a mover
I'm a teaser
I don’t follow
I’m the leader
Lemme
Hype ya, hype ya up
Lemme hype ya up
Imma imma
Let you get so hooked
Imma leave you shook
Come alive
Surrender to the blinding lights
No one's gonna sleep tonight
Welcome to the riot
I'm the bangarang
Bangaranga bangaranga
Bangaranga
I'm the bangarang
Bangaranga bangaranga
Bangaranga, I'm the bangarang
Blinding lights
Welcome to the riot
Close to the edge I can feel it inside
Bodies on bodies and sparks 'bout to fly
I'm (oh, I'm) about to lose my mind (mind)
I'm the bangarang
Bangaranga bangaranga
Bangaranga
I'm the bangarang
Bangaranga bangaranga
Bangaranga, I'm the bangarang
Blinding lights
Welcome to the riot
I’m a rebel,
I’m a danger
I’m a mover,
For a freedom
Let me light you, light you up
Let me light you up
Come on, let me pull you in so deep
I am gone leave you weak
(I'm the bangarang)
(I'm the bangarang)
(I'm the bangarang)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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