Bulgarian singer Dara won the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna with the energetic dance track Bangaranga. Israel’s Noam Bettan finished second despite international protests over his country’s participation and some boos from the audience.
Dara’s victory came as a surprise to some, as bookmakers had heavily favored Finland’s Pete Parkkonen and violinist Linda Lampenius, as well as Australian singer Delta Goodrem. However, Dara won both the jury vote and the televote, earning a total of 516 points.
Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia chose not to participate this year after organizers refused calls to expel Israel over the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Nevertheless, the televote propelled Bettan to second place, with a total of 343 points.
Some booed and jeered during the Israeli singer’s performance of the ballad Michelle, which featured lyrics in French, Hebrew, and English. Boos were also heard when Bettan received points, while chants of “Stop the genocide!” could be heard during the broadcast on Eurovision’s official YouTube channel.
Last year, Israel was represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 2023 Hamas attack on the Nova music festival. Despite boos from the audience, she won the televote and finished second overall.