Now Eurovision 2026 is firmly behind us and we’ve had a chance to properly digest the wild ride of Vienna, it’s now time to discuss What Went Right. We’ve all had a chance to mull over the results of the contest. The Eurovision 2026 final saw some very dramatic results, but 3 acts in particular had some historically good results.
We’ve spent a long time discussing what went wrong for most of the countries this year, so why not end this Eurovision year on a positive not and discuss what went right for 3 countries who has historically good successes this year: Romania, Denmark, and Bulgaria.
Who is Dara?
DARA is the stage name of Darina Yotova, a 27-year-old singer-songwriter born in the Bulgarian city of Varna. She first rose to fame in 2015, when she finished third on the Bulgarian version of The X Factor. Since then, she has gone on to become one Bulgaria’s biggest stars, having a string of hits, including becoming a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria.
DARA’s track for Eurovision, “Bangaranga”, was written by DARA herself, as well as Anne Judith Wik, Cristian Tarcea and Dimitris Kontopoulos.
Did you expect Bulgaria to win?
Samantha : Did anyone?! Talk about catching people off guard. That segment of the preview clip really had everyone thinking, “Okay, Bulgaria where has this come from? ”Not gonna lie, I wasn’t actually a huge fan of the song going into Eurovision, but the staging completely won me over. The preview clip did exactly what it needed to do ; it got everyone talking and made people desperate to see the full performance, and thankfully, it absolutely delivered. Even when watching the performance, I think I was still slightly unsure about whether Bulgaria would actually pull the whole thing off, especially right up until that split-screen moment, but wow, am I happy they did (well, I mean, isn’t everyone?).
Tom: I actually put a bet on Bulgaria winning before DARA was even selected, which had less to do with the song (obviously) and more to do with Bulgaria’s record in the Contest, and the fact they would never return without a solid banger. From the moment of the national final before DARA was selected the winner, I had doubts that there was anything there with winning contentions. When I heard “Bangaranga” for the first time, did I expect Bulgaria to win? Also, sort of no. But it shot straight to the top of my personal rankings. For my personal winner, this year’s Contest was split between DARA and FELICIA (and the less said about how that ended up performing the better). But the minute those first rehearsal pictures dropped online, I thought it could have a shot. And then when the staging was revealed, and the first of the preview clips captured the magic, it was really a contender. The story of outside chance of qualification to hounding victory probably did help this slightly, but it was truly DARA’s energy and performance that made this shine.
Molly: No. I don’t think anyone did. Everyone was so hyperfocused on the Odds frontrunners that whenever Bulgaria came into conversation, it was shrugged off. I even remember seeing rankings that had the entry NQ in Semi 2 (very ironic). Whenever the rehearsal dropped, it did everything that it needed to. It got the ball moving, and realisation started to hit. I can still remember my friend telling me that BNT received a “call” from the EBU to prep hosting, and the thought crossed my mind: wait, how much of an impact did this make? Watching “Bangaranga” back after the contest, the winning signs are there. Perfect staging, a captivating opening, vocals, catchiness and a connection to DARA. While I was scared at the final split screen, once the televote came in, the scream I let out could be heard all the way from my house to Vienna.
What worked well from their selection?
Samantha : For me, the selection process felt slightly messy, and to this day Dara still feels more like an internal selection to me. I didn’t necessarily mind the whole “pick the artist first and then find the song” approach, but I definitely prefer the classic national final format where the artist and song are presented as a complete package. That said, I think the process ultimately worked because it gave Bulgaria the opportunity to find something that really suited the artist. I just don’t think the selection itself was particularly convincing or memorable compared with the end result we got at Eurovision.
Tom: So the selection of the artists was a tad messy. The staging at the national final of DARA’s 3 songs was also not up to standard. But clearly, it produced a winner. I think that is more to do with DARA than it is the selection process, however. They got lucky, ultimately, and I agree with Samantha. This felt more like an internal selection.
Molly: The idea of getting leading artists in the charts for the National Final was smart, but the process did feel messy. I missed the initial National Final so just accepted that DARA was the artist, forgetting that her song would be part of a secondary National Final. It felt slightly pointless; I do prefer a National Final providing a song and artist the same day, but I guess it worked. “Bangaranga” was the best of the 3 songs and I agree with Samantha and Tom that problems were evident; they somehow got lucky and picked a Eurovision winner.
What made this entry different from the previous attempts?
Samantha : Bulgaria is usually quite strong at Eurovision (and then there was 2022…), but this felt completely different from what we normally expect from them. The whole “Bangaranga” concept really got people talking and created a lot of intrigue around the song. The national final performance was… chaotic, to say the least, but what a revamp! I think that’s what made this entry so interesting. Bulgaria took something that initially felt a little messy and turned it into a really polished Eurovision package. The final version was almost unrecognizable, and I think that transformation is a huge part of why it caught everyone off guard.
Tom: If we could pinpoint and bottle the answer to that question, I’d be producing Eurovision winners. I think this is partly a product of the year, partly a product of a hiatus and return, but mostly just DARA’s sheer personality and energy. She’s a superstar, and that has been known within Bulgaria for a long time. Eurovision was simply the vehicle for the rest of the world to catch up to what the Bulgarian public had known for a while. This was quite probably the most individual, risky and exciting Bulgaria have been (in a complimentary way, let’s not talk 2022), and it really worked.
Molly: DARA, she made it different. Bulgaria has been a powerhouse at Eurovision, except 2022, so a good result is expected, but it was DARA who pushed this into 1st place. She knew what she had to do and delivered. “Bangaranga” felt perfect for her; it was the riot and chaos, which DARA embodies. No one else can capture the “Bangaranga” as perfectly as DARA. The revamp as well helped, as while the song is repetitive, it added the polish it needed. The choreography and concept were executed to perfection. The Press descriptions made this entry seem so strange, but once the visual guide was there, it made so much sense. I am happy it has gone viral as it shows that Bulgaria should never be forgotten about in Eurovision.
Do you think these results can be replicated?
Samantha : Definitely, but what worked once might not work again, and I can already see next year being flooded with wacky song titles desperately trying to be the next “Bangaranga.” I just don’t see that working. The reason Bulgaria stood out was because the whole thing felt unexpected and authentic. If everyone suddenly starts trying to copy the concept, it stops being unexpected. Bulgaria didn’t succeed because they had an intriguing title ; they succeeded because they took a risk and actually made the entire package work. That’s the part other countries should be copying.
Tom: Look Bulgaria are wonderful at the Contest usually. They have a pretty impressive track record in the year’s they have competed in the last decade, bar a few exceptions. Can Bulgaria continue on this track, and deliver excellence in future? Absolutely. I will be so intrigued to see how their host entrant performs in 2027. Can this exact magic be replicated, I’m more sceptical. I think DARA was a bit of a one off superstar. Maybe she’ll pull a Lena and try and defend her crown, but I think that is unlikely. Either way, Bulgaria in the Contest excites me, and I’m sure whatever they bring to the Contest on home soil will have people talking.
Molly: I mean this should really be Bulgaria’s second win, to be honest. They constantly deliver quality (except 2022), so it has paid off. The Host-Entry curse will be intriguing to watch next year, as I don’t think they can pull off the double win due to this, but it shouldn’t be immediately withdrawn from the Top 10 discussion. Another Bulgaria win is possible; it will just be down to how they look at DARA’s win. Will they try to replicate this moving forward, or will they keep pursuing artists and performers who can deliver their genre? It will be an interesting watch.
What can other countries learn from this result?
Tom: Send a song that is a good song, put some effort into staging, and let it shine. Don’t force a ‘this is a Eurovision song’ style writing on an artist with individuality, personality and their own styles (looking at you UK and Germany). And I guess don’t lose hope, sometimes withdrawing from the Contest seems like a major, awful step, but a hiatus and eventual return can do wonders for some countries.
Molly: They need to serve. Just sending a song is not enough; you need to send a package. If you have a dance break, keep it clean and unique; if you have an idea, work with it. If you have a story, tell it! While the Odds may not favour your song, if you deliver it and don’t let this bring you down, you can do it. Add some “Bangaranga” energy into your entry, see what happens.
Watch the accompanying discussion video here:
Bulgaria’s Eurovision Journey
Bulgaria are a country that really want 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.
In 2026, Bulgaria returned to the contest after a 3-year hiatus. Represented by DARA and the song “”Bangaranga”” the country won the contest for the first time in their history with a total of 516 points.
What do think about our thoughts? Why do you think that Bulgaria did so well? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2027!
Source: That Eurovision Site
Image Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU