516 points for Bulgaria – and just one for the UK
11:32, 17 May 2026Updated 11:39, 17 May 2026
(Image: Christian Bruna/Getty Images))
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest, with singer DARA, 27, getting 516 points in total.
Following themomentous victory, DARA collapsed to the floor as confetti cascaded down around her. It marks the first time the country has ever claimed the title, having previously finished as runners-up back in 2017. Her win came as Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain opted not to join the contest, in protest at the inclusion of Israel – marking the largest number of non-participants since 1970.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin described Ireland’s withdrawal from the Song Contest as “an act of “solidarity” and said he “fully understood” the decision by RTÉ not to broadcast the show. In a statement, the broadcaster explained “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.
“RTÉ remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory.”
Winner Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, aka Dara and representing Bulgaria with the song ‘Bangaranga’ celebrates on stage with the trophy after she won the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 (ESC) at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria on May 16, 2026(Image: Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP via Getty Images))
It proved to be a disappointing night for the United Kingdom, as Look Mum No Computer was eliminated from the competition with just one point, reports the Mirror.
The YouTuber, whose real name is Sam Battle, picked up one point from the jury votes and zero from the public vote. Three previous acts – Remember Monday, Olly Alexander and Mae Muller – also received zero points from the public vote.
The UK awarded its 12 points to France in the jury vote during the Eurovision 2026 grand final. The announcement, delivered by Strictly Come Dancing star La Voix, also saw Bulgaria receive 10 points, Czechia pick up eight and Ukraine claim seven.
The social media star had been fairly upbeat just hours before the contest, but sadly it wasn’t to be. When asked whether he feared finishing with no points, he said: “No, in fact, there’s a T-shirt that I’m dreaming of saying, ‘Look Mum, No Points’ There’s an outcome where there’s still fun to be had, even if there is nul points.”
Sam acknowledged that while it was a “very risky” song to put forward as the nation’s entry, he remained confident that he had put considerable effort into getting it right for the big night.
Speaking to The Sun, he added: “It’s got a good ring to it, even though I have a feeling in my crystal ball, I might be wrong – and don’t hold me to this – I do think we’re gonna get points.
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