Bulgarian singer DARA, who was selected to represent her country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 through Natsionalnata Selektsiya 2026, has confirmed that she will take part in the contest, pushing back against earlier speculation and negative social media commentary.
What happened
Sooner, it was reported that she might withdraw as she faced negative commentary following her victory. The singer published an official statement on her social media:
“I have never given up on my dreams. And yet – no one deserves such a public lynching because they do their job and follow their path. No one. That’s why I made a decision – I will participate,”
Here is the official statement:
What has been happening in recent days has almost broken me. Instead of rejoicing and experiencing the moment of this victory, which would give me strength to continue towards the real competition, I had several sleepless nights. The hatred on social media didn’t just affect me – it shook me and worried me. Today, in a television interview, I shared quite honestly that I don’t know if it’s all worth it if the price is my psyche.
I’ll put it simply – mental health matters. Mine. Yours. All of us.
There is no stage, no title, no expectation that is worth more than your inner peace.
For over 10 years I have been working on myself. On my resilience. I have fallen. I have doubted myself. My inner critic has sometimes been the loudest voice in the room. There have been moments when I have stood at a crossroads and wondered which way to turn. But I have never given up on my dreams. And yet – no one deserves such a public lynching for doing their job and following their path. No one.
That’s why I made a decision – I will participate.
Because of the thousands of messages I received today. Your love and support reminded me of who I am and why I started. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! We will not leave ourselves to the dream thieves! I say we – because my going to Eurovision is not just for me. If I manage to perform worthily – then we all, Bulgaria, will shine on the map. Our music, our artists, all of us will have an even stronger voice.
So from now on, I’m going to stop following all the hate, focus on my work and the love you give me. I’m going to work with my heart, with discipline, and with gratitude to everyone who stands by me.
I love you.
Thank you.
I hug you.
Working with an international team
An international group of music professionals is now collaborating on the songs that DARA will potentially perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The team brings together songwriters, producers and industry experts from multiple countries as part of Bulgaria’s preparations for Vienna 2026. Dara said:
“There is a month in which she will work with an extremely successful foreign production team with many podium finishes in Eurovision over the years. Three songs will be produced with this team.”
There has been speculation that the well-known “Dream Team” could be involved in shaping the entry, particularly following Victoria Chalkitis’ participation on the jury during the Artist Final.
Τhe team are Dimitris Kontopoulos and Fokas Evangelinos, two figures with extensive Eurovision experience. Together, they have been responsible for fifteen Eurovision entries, including two runner-up finishes and two third-place results, and have gone on to produce four additional songs after those acts were selected.
Bulgaria’s Eurovision Journey
Bulgaria are a country that really wants to win the Eurovision Song Contest, especially since their return in 2016. Bulgaria debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2005 with the song ‘Lorraine’ sung by Kaffe, the song came 19th in the semi final, scoring 49 points. Bulgaria’s best ever result came in 2017 with ‘Beautiful Mess’ by Kristian Kostov, the song placed 2nd in the Grand Final that year scoring 615 points.
In 2022, Bulgaria was represented by the Intelligent Music Project in Turin, where they sang the song “Intention”, placing 16th in the Semi-Final with 29 points.
Did she make the right decision? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
Source: dnes
Photo credit: BNT
Euan T