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

Bulgaria made history on Saturday night by winning the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, ending a 60-year wait. The victory came in a final that was tense from the start, with tensions spilling over into boycotts and a record surge in public voting. Bulgaria’s entry, a high-energy pop track by Krisia, Todor, and Aleksandra, surged ahead in the final stretch after a lackluster jury vote placed it mid-pack. The public vote, which now carries 50% of the total score, pushed it to the top spot with a commanding lead. It’s the first time a Bulgarian act has taken the crown since the country joined the contest in 2005, and the first non-English-language win since Ukraine in 2022 with a song in Ukrainian. The performance featured a glittering stage set, synchronized dancers, and a final note that left the audience in Malmo, Sweden, roaring. The victory was met with disbelief in Sofia, where fans gathered in front of giant screens to watch the results roll in. The country’s president, Rumen Radev, quickly sent congratulations, calling it ‘a night of pride for Bulgaria.’ The last time Bulgaria came close was in 2017, when Kristian Kostov finished second with ‘Beautiful Mess.’ This time, there was no repeat of that near-miss.

Israel’s second-place finish defies boycotts and controversy

Israel’s entry, ‘Echo’ by Eden Golan, secured second place for the third consecutive year, a result that drew both cheers and boos from the crowd. The song, a haunting ballad with Middle Eastern influences, was a favorite among juries but only middling in the public vote. Still, it racked up enough points to edge past Sweden’s Marcus & Martinus in third. The result was controversial from the start. Five countries—Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Finland, and Denmark—opted to sit out the final entirely, citing Israel’s actions in Gaza as the reason. Protesters outside the venue in Malmo waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans, while inside, security was tight. The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, had warned against political statements but stopped short of banning the boycotts. Israel’s second-place finish follows its runner-up spot in 2023 and 2024, a streak that’s as much about fan support as it is about the song’s quality. ‘Echo’ became the most-streamed Eurovision song in Israel’s history within hours of the final airing.

Sweden’s Marcus & Martinus took third, a surprise given their status as pre-contest favorites. Their upbeat pop track, ‘Unforgettable,’ was a crowd-pleaser, but it couldn’t overcome the public vote’s momentum behind Bulgaria and Israel. The twins, who’ve been stars in Scandinavia for a decade, delivered a show-stopping performance that had the home crowd on its feet. The rest of the top five was rounded out by Italy’s Angelina Mango in fourth and the Netherlands’ Joost Klein in fifth. France, often a strong contender, finished 11th with a lackluster performance by Slimane, who’s won the French selection three times but couldn’t replicate that success on the global stage.

The boycotts overshadowed what was otherwise a lively final. The contest’s executive supervisor, Martin Österdahl, called it ‘a night of music and competition’ despite the protests. He pointed out that Eurovision has always been about bringing people together, even when politics tries to tear them apart. The EBU’s rules prohibit political messaging, but the boycotts themselves weren’t against the rules—just a stark reminder that Eurovision isn’t immune to the world’s divisions. The controversy also sparked debates about whether the public vote, which now carries equal weight to juries, is making the contest more unpredictable—or more political.

Bulgaria’s win comes with immediate perks: the country will host next year’s contest, a logistical and financial challenge that’s also a huge honor. The last time a first-time winner hosted was Ukraine in 2023, which turned the event into a global spectacle. Sofia will now have to pull off the same magic, though with a much smaller budget. The Bulgarian delegation has already started scouting venues, with the National Palace of Culture in Sofia the frontrunner. The EBU has promised extra support to make sure the contest runs smoothly, especially given the ongoing security concerns.

For Israel, the back-to-back runner-up finishes are a PR win in some circles, but they’re also a reminder of how politics and pop culture collide on this stage. Eden Golan’s performance was met with a mix of applause and silence in the arena, reflecting the divided opinions. The country’s broadcaster, KAN, has already confirmed it will return next year, but the boycotts show no signs of fading. Eurovision’s future may depend on how it balances its ‘no politics’ rule with the growing influence of public sentiment—and whether the contest can keep being just about the music.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: RFI
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 07:33 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #rfi · #france · #world-news · #war · #gaza · #middle-east

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

A Bulgária escreveu seu nome na história do Eurovision ao conquistar o título inédito no festival de 2025, dominando a votação do público e deixando para trás rivais tradicionais como a Suécia e a Itália. Pela primeira vez em sua participação no concurso, o país balcânico levou o troféu graças a uma campanha que apostou em uma música cativante e uma performance visualmente impactante, emocionando telespectadores de todo o continente.

O resultado tem um sabor especial para os brasileiros, já que a Bulgária, assim como o Brasil, é um país com uma cultura rica e uma identidade nacional forte que, até então, não havia sido representada no topo do Eurovision. Para os fãs do festival na língua portuguesa, a vitória búlgarica pode ser vista como um sinal de que a diversidade musical europeia está cada vez mais em pauta, abrindo espaço para nações menos tradicionais no evento. Além disso, o feito coloca a Bulgária em destaque no cenário internacional, algo que pode atrair mais atenção para sua cultura e, quem sabe, fortalecer parcerias culturais com o Brasil.

Ainda assim, a polêmica envolvendo a segunda colocação de Israel, que repetiu o feito de 2023 e 2024 mesmo sob boicotes de parte do público, deve manter o debate sobre imparcialidade e política no festival aceso nos próximos anos.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

La noche del sábado quedó marcada en la historia del Festival de Eurovisión al coronarse Bulgaria como ganadora por primera vez en sus más de seis décadas de participación, mientras Israel repetía en el podio por tercer año consecutivo pese a las polémicas por su ausencia en la final.

El triunfo búlgaro, impulsado principalmente por el voto del público, refleja un cambio de tendencia en un certamen tradicionalmente dominado por países del norte y centro de Europa, demostrando que la Eurovisión sigue evolucionando hacia una mayor diversificación geográfica. Para el público hispanohablante, este resultado subraya la importancia de la conexión emocional con el público en una competición donde el apoyo de los votos populares puede decantar la balanza, algo que contrasta con ediciones anteriores donde primaban alianzas políticas o culturales. La repetición de Israel en el segundo puesto, en medio de tensiones por su no participación en la final, añade un matiz político que invita a reflexionar sobre el papel de la neutralidad en eventos de escala global y su impacto en la percepción de los espectadores.