Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026 amid protests about Israel’s participation

Bulgaria won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday as the competition in Austria was overshadowed by protests, boycotts and demonstrations linked to Israel’s participation amid the war in the Gaza Strip.

The final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest was held at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle arena, where Bulgarian singer Dara secured first place with the song "Bangaranga," earning 516 points from juries and viewers.

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

Five countries -- Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Iceland and Ireland -- boycotted the competition in protest against Israel’s participation.

Israeli contestant Noam Bettan, who performed third during the final, was met with protests inside the arena as audience members waved Palestinian flags during the performance. Booing was also heard when Israel’s public vote results were announced.

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

Protests in Vienna

More than 1,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Christian Broda Square in Vienna and marched toward the Wiener Stadthalle venue, hours before the final.

Protesters carried banners that read: “Don't celebrate genocide” and “Israel, killer of children and people,” while chanting slogans, including “Boycott Israel” and “No stage for genocide.”

International activists, artists and civil society representatives urged the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from the contest and urged countries, including Austria, to end political, economic and military cooperation with Israel.

A separate concert, “Song Protest – No Stage for Genocide,” was held Friday at Vienna’s Maria-Theresien Square, bringing together international artists and activists expressing solidarity with Palestinians and criticizing the EBU’s stance on Israel’s participation.

During the first semifinal on May 12, Bettan also faced protests from the audience, who chanted, “Stop the genocide,” and displayed Palestinian flags. Some protesters wearing “Free Palestine” slogans were removed from the venue by security personnel.

Broadcasters voice criticism

Spanish public broadcaster RTVE aired a message supporting “peace and justice for Palestine” at the start of the broadcast, temporarily blacking out its screen to display the message in Spanish and English.

Belgium’s Flemish public broadcaster VRT also warned it may reconsider future participation unless the EBU changes its policies on countries taking part in Eurovision.

Viewership declines

The contest also saw lower television ratings in several countries amid boycott calls and criticism surrounding Israel’s participation.

In Italy, 1.87 million viewers watched the first semifinal on public broadcaster RAI, down from 2.489 million last year.

In the Netherlands, viewership for the semifinal dropped 42% compared to 2025, making it the country’s least-watched Eurovision semifinal since 2012.

Audience figures also declined compared to last year in the UK, Sweden and Belgium, according to the reported viewing data.