The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest concluded on Saturday (May 16), with Bulgaria’s Dara being crowned the winner.
Eurovision is the world’s longest-running TV music competition. Each year, dozens of European countries—alongside a few non-European countries like Israel and Australia—compete to see who has the best song.
Countries can send either a singer, a duet, or a band to represent them. Twenty-six countries make it to the grand final: 10 from each semi-final and six who qualify automatically, which includes the previous year’s winner as well as the “Big Five”: Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and the UK.
The contest has helped launch the careers of Céline Dion and ABBA. Olivia Newton-John, Flo Rida, and Bonnie Tyler have also performed at the popular competition.
The annual song contest is known for featuring extravagant performances and show-stopping looks. Despite labeling itself as an apolitical competition, the event has also made headlines for political controversies.
This year was no exception. Spain announced it would not be competing due to Israel’s inclusion. Other countries, including Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia joined the boycott after a UN commission concluded that Israel had committed g*nocide against Palestinians.
Israel’s Noam Bettan finished in second place amid the boycott, with his participation sparking a wave of social media reactions throughout the competition.
Another major talking point was the moment Dara was handed her trophy for her dance anthem Bangaranga, which won both the jury vote and televote. As he was presenting the award, last year’s winner from Austria, Johannes Pietsch (known by his stage name JJ), told Dara on stage, “B*tch! B*tch! I knew you’d win!”
The 27-year-old singer, whose real name is Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, earned Bulgaria its first-ever title in the song contest. She first rose to fame in the country in 2015 after reaching the final in the Bulgarian edition of The X Factor and released her debut single the following year.
After the song contest came to a close, let’s take a look at some of the most viral reactions that perfectly captured the chaotic final.
