THE glitter has settled, the nerve-shredding votes are in, and Europe has crowned its brand-new pop royalty for 2026.
In a night packed with spectacular high notes, outrageous outfits, and the usual dose of nail-biting voting drama, one country managed to come out on top.
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The Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest has come to an end Credit: AP
Whether your favourite act walked away with the grand prize or suffered the absolute dread of the infamous ‘nul points’ the night has not been short of entertainment.
Here is everything you need to know about who won Eurovision, how they managed to pull off the ultimate musical heist, and where the world’s biggest party is heading next year!
Who won Eurovision 2026?
Lifting the iconic glass microphone trophy for 2026 was Bulgaria.
The country came through at the last moment to smash its competitors out of the water on 516 points.
After hearing the result, Dara performed her song Bangaranga for a second time before lifting the iconic glass trophy.
It’s also the first time Bulgaria has ever won the contest.
DARA representing Bulgaria with the song Bangaranga was the winner of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest Credit: Getty
The UK suffered yet another crushing defeat in tonight’s grand final as Look Mum No Computer’s Sam Battle sadly didn’t do enough to win over the voters.
He ended up with just one point from the jury and zero points from the public, placing him in the bottom spot.
Here is the breakdown of tonight’s votes in full:
JURY VOTES
Bulgaria: 204
Australia: 165
Denmark: 165
France: 144
Finland: 141
Italy: 134
Poland: 133
Israel: 123
Norway: 115
Czechia: 104
Malta: 81
Greece: 73
Romania: 64
Albania: 60
Ukraine: 54
Croatia: 53
Moldova: 43
Cyprus: 41
Serbia: 38
Belgium: 36
Sweden: 35
Germany: 12
Lithuania: 10
United Kingdom: 1
Austria: 1
AUDIENCE VOTES
Bulgaria: 312
Romania: 232
Israel: 220
Moldova: 183
Ukraine: 167
Greece: 147
Italy: 147
Finland: 138
Australia: 122
Albania: 85
Denmark: 78
Croatia: 71
Serbia: 52
Cyprus: 34
Norway: 19
Poland: 17
Sweden: 16
France: 14
Lithuania: 12
Czechia: 9
Malta: 8
Austria: 5
United Kingdom: 0
Germany: 0
Belgium: 0
FINAL RESULTS IN FULL
Bulgaria: 516
Israel: 343
Romania: 296
Australia: 287
Italy: 281
Finland: 279
Denmark: 243
Moldova: 226
Ukraine: 221
Greece: 220
France: 158
Poland: 150
Albania: 145
Norway: 134
Croatia: 124
Czechia: 113
Serbia: 90
Malta: 89
Cyprus: 75
Sweden: 51
Belgium: 36
Lithuania: 22
Germany: 12
Austria: 6
United Kingdom: 1
How was the winner decided?
Countries are unable to vote for themselves, but may vote for countries they consider friends.
This may be because the countries are close geographically, or if the nations have historical links, which could be culturally or in political terms.
The contest has been eager to avoid links to politics, with a view to avoiding bias.
The votes are split between public votes and national juries, often with celebrities from the various countries appearing to confirm where the juries have given their points.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and Strictly star, La Voix, announced the UK’s results.
Who will host Eurovision in 2027?
The victorious nation is handed the honour of hosting the following year’s competition.
That means, thanks to Dara’s success this year, Bulgaria will have the chance to welcome all the other competing countries in 2027.
