The 70th edition of Eurovision took place on May 16 in Vienna, capital of Austria. For the first time in its history, Bulgaria won the holy grail thanks to its singer Dara, who thus brought the title back to Sofia. It’s time to find out more about this artist who has been propelled to the forefront of the European scene.
As with every edition, we had to stay up very late to find out who would win Eurovision 2026. For its 70th ceremony, the great European song contest took place in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Tradition dictates that this show, bringing together Europeans but also Australia since 2015, is organized in the winning country of the previous edition. After the coronation of Johannes Pietsch, alias JJ, it was around 1:05 a.m. that we learned of the victory of Dara, representative of Bulgaria, while France with the young Monroe finished in 11th place.
A big first for Bulgaria
Dara gives his country its first victory at Eurovision. With its festive and sparkling title entitled Sidethe singer succeeded in her bet. And she’s come a long way! Because Bulgaria is not one of the countries automatically qualified for the final. Dara had to get out of the 2nd semi-final, on May 14, which she brilliantly won with 278 points ahead of Romania and Australia.
Arriving in the final, she did it again and won over both the public and the jury, which placed her at the top of the ranking with 516 points ahead of Israel (343 points) and Romania (296 points). A plebiscite which therefore allows Bulgaria to organize the next competition in 2027. BNT, Bulgarian public television, welcomed the victory of its representative:
“His performance demonstrated that Bulgarian artists can confidently compete on the big European stage and capture the attention of international audiences.“
From telephone hooks to national recognition
Dara – real name Darina Yotova – became known on the Balkan music scene in 2015, in the Bulgarian version of the show X Factor. During this 4th season, she reached the final but ultimately finished on the 3rd step of the podium. Not letting herself be discouraged, she had the opportunity to bounce back quickly and signed with the record company Virginia Records.
The summer of 2016 allowed him to break through in Bulgaria. She released her first single, K’vo ne chupropelled to the top of the national charts, and tries to make itself known internationally by offering a version in English, Onto You (literally On you in French). The essay is transformed and she becomes a star in her country.
Her peers show their appreciation to her, with the award for best female artist at the 2017 BG Radio Awards, which she will win again in 2025. In the meantime, Dara becomes a coach in 2021 in the Bulgarian version of The Voice, a role that she still plays to this day.
A well-anchored universe
Dara is lucky to be well surrounded artistically. She collaborates with major producers such as Chris Young, who also works with Rod Stewart and Kylie Minogue, but also Jungleboi, known to be close to Rihanna. His pop style allows him to go beyond Bulgarian borders.
But Dara is not just music, it is also her own look and well-established merchandising. The artist markets his colored highlights as well as t-shirts and sweatshirts bearing his image. In short, she’s a complete, jack-of-all-trades musician who could well make her way into our playlists in the weeks to come.
You can listen to Dara’s entire discography on Deezer, including her famous title Sideforever engraved in the history of Eurovision.
Sources : Le Parisien, Europe 1, This is Dara, BNT
