📰 Continuing coverage: Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2025 with Dara’s historic victory

Eurovision 2024 ended with a bang in Malmö, Sweden, where Bulgaria’s Dara claimed the top spot after a fiercely fought competition. The 21-year-old singer, known for her bold stage presence and soaring vocals, delivered a performance that judges couldn’t ignore. Her song, Endless Sun, mixed pop hooks with dramatic flair, earning her the crown in a field packed with heavy hitters. Dara’s victory makes Bulgaria the latest country to join Eurovision’s exclusive winners’ circle, a list that now includes nations from every corner of Europe. Fans took to social media to celebrate, calling her win a bold statement for the Balkans in a contest often dominated by Western European acts.

But the real showstopper came from Ukraine. The country’s act shattered the competition’s long-standing record for the longest sustained note in Eurovision history. Krutь—a folk-inspired duo—held a single note for a staggering 18 seconds, leaving audiences and judges stunned. The previous record was held by Norway’s Alexander Rybak in 2009, who hit 16 seconds with Fairytale. Ukraine’s performance wasn’t just about the note, though. Their act wove traditional instruments and modern beats into a seamless blend, showcasing the country’s rich cultural identity on a global stage. Many viewers agreed it was one of the most visually and aurally striking entries of the night.

The contest itself was a spectacle of contrasts. While Dara’s win leaned into pop glamour, Ukraine’s record-breaker embraced folk roots, proving Eurovision’s ability to spotlight wildly different styles. Malta’s Sarah Bonnici came in second with her sultry ballad Loop, while Serbia’s Tijana Dapčević rounded out the top five with a retro-inspired track. The voting system once again sparked debate, with some fans arguing that jury scores favored flashy performances over vocal purity. Others praised the show’s production, which featured dazzling LED screens and choreography that turned the arena into a futuristic playground.

For Dara, the win capped a year of meteoric rise. She first gained attention as a contestant on X Factor Bulgaria before releasing her debut single in 2023. Her Eurovision performance was a calculated risk—she ditched the safe route of ballads for a high-energy, almost theatrical approach. In her post-win interview, she teared up, saying, This isn’t just my victory. It’s for every kid who’s ever been told they’re too loud, too bold, or too much. The win also comes with a golden ticket: Dara will now join a legacy of Eurovision winners who’ve leveraged the platform to launch global careers, from ABBA to Måneskin.

Ukraine’s record-breaking note, meanwhile, stole the thunder from even the biggest names. The duo behind Krutь, Anastasiya Bahinska and Yevhen Koshovy, have been performing together for less than a year. Their Eurovision entry was their first major international collaboration, and it’s now etched into competition history. Bahinska, a classically trained singer, and Koshovy, a multi-instrumentalist, met through a folk music festival in Kyiv. Their performance wasn’t just about the note—it was a defiant showcase of Ukrainian culture amid ongoing war. In a post-show press conference, Koshovy said, This isn’t just music. It’s resistance.

What happens next? Dara will now prepare for the inevitable whirlwind of interviews, performances, and possibly a record deal. Eurovision winners often get a surge in streaming numbers, and Dara’s team has already hinted at new music in the works. For Ukraine, the record-breaking moment will likely fuel more global interest in their folk traditions, especially as the country continues to fight for visibility in geopolitics. The contest also leaves open questions about Eurovision’s future—will the record change how judges score vocal stamina? Will more countries lean into folk-inspired acts to stand out? One thing’s for sure: Malmö 2024 proved that Eurovision is as much about spectacle as it is about song.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: BBC News
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 02:00 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #bbc · #world-news · #international · #war · #ukraine · #russia

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

A Bulgária levou o título do Eurovision 2024 com a cantora Dara, de apenas 11 anos, enquanto a Ucrânia surpreendeu o mundo ao quebrar o recorde da nota mais longa já cantada na história do festival. O evento, realizado em Malmö, na Suécia, não só coroou uma nova estrela mirim, como também celebrou a resistência cultural ucraniana em meio à guerra, transformando a apresentação em um símbolo de esperança e determinação.

O Brasil, que acompanha o Eurovision com crescente interesse — especialmente após a participação da cantora Ana Vilela em 2022 —, viu nesta edição um reflexo das mudanças no concurso, cada vez mais voltado para performances teatrais e mensagens políticas. A Ucrânia, representada pela banda Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil, usou a plataforma para manter viva a visibilidade internacional do país, enquanto a Bulgária confirmou sua ascensão no cenário europeu da música pop. Para o público brasileiro, o festival segue como um termômetro das tendências globais, com potencial até mesmo para influenciar a indústria musical local.

A próxima edição do Eurovision promete manter esse tom de inovação e engajamento, com a Suécia, como anfitriã, já sinalizando que o evento será ainda mais grandioso em 2025.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

La edición 2024 del Festival de Eurovisión dejó dos hitos que resonarán en la memoria colectiva: la victoria de Bulgaria con una actuación vibrante y el récord histórico logrado por Ucrania, que redefinió los límites del talento vocal en el escenario.

El triunfo de Bulgaria, con Dara y su canción The Rhythm of My People, supuso un giro inesperado en un certamen tradicionalmente dominado por los países nórdicos o mediterráneos, mientras que la cantante ucraniana Alyosha Romandashenko batió el récord de la nota más larga sostenida en Eurovisión —18 segundos de potencia lírica—, un gesto simbólico en un año marcado por la guerra en su país. Para el público hispanohablante, estos momentos reflejan la diversidad creciente del concurso, donde la innovación y la emoción pueden superar a los favoritos históricos, al tiempo que reafirma el papel de Eurovisión como escaparate global de culturas en resistencia.