Bulgaria won ​the Eurovision ‌Song Contest for ​the ​first time on Saturday ⁠at ​a final ​marked by five countries’ boycott ​over ​Israel’s military assault in Gaza.

Bangaranga, sung by Dara, came ahead of second-placed Israel when points from a public vote and national juries were tallied.

The grand final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest was held at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle arena, where Bulgarian singer Dara clinched first place with her performance of Bangaranga, earning 516 points from a combination of juries and public votes.

Israel finished second with 343 points, while Romania took third place with 296 points.

Protests and boycotts

Five countries — Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Ireland — boycotted the contest in protest of Israel’s participation.

During the final, Israeli performer Noam Bettan, who appeared third on stage, faced protests inside the arena as audience members waved Palestinian flags.

Booing was also reported when Israel’s public vote results were announced.

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard condemned Israel’s involvement during the broadcast, stating on social media: “There should be no stage for Israel at Eurovision while there is an ongoing genocide, unlawful occupation and apartheid.”

In Vienna, more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Christian Broda Square and marched toward the arena, carrying banners reading “Don’t celebrate genocide” and “Israel, killer of children and people,” while chanting slogans such as “Boycott Israel” and “No stage for genocide.”

Activists, artists, and civil society groups urged the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from the contest.

They called on countries, including Austria, to end political, economic, and military cooperation with Israel.

A separate event, Song Protest – No Stage for Genocide, took place on Friday at Maria-Theresien Square in Vienna, drawing international artists and activists expressing solidarity with Palestinians and criticising the EBU’s stance, according to Anadolu news agency.

Broadcasters speak out

Several European broadcasters also voiced criticism.

Spain’s RTVE displayed a message supporting “peace and justice for Palestine” at the start of its broadcast, temporarily blacking out the screen to deliver the message in both Spanish and English.

Belgium’s Flemish public broadcaster VRT warned it may reconsider future Eurovision participation unless the EBU changes its policies on contested entries.

Declining viewership

The controversy surrounding Israel’s participation coincided with a drop in television ratings across several countries.

In Italy, 1.87 million viewers watched the first semifinal on RAI, down from 2.49 million the previous year.

In the Netherlands, viewership fell 42% compared to 2025, marking the country’s lowest-rated Eurovision semifinal since 2012.

Fall in viewership was also reported in the UK, Sweden, and Belgium.