Bulgaria won the Eurovision final 2026. Alexandra Căpitănescu, the representative of Romania, finished in 3rd place.

The final of Eurovision 2026 was won Saturday night in Vienna by Bulgaria's representative, Dara, with the song "Bangaranga." Alexandra Căpitănescu, representing Romania, finished in 3rd place, after Israel.

Dara, Bulgaria's representative, scored 516 points with the song Bangaranga, while Israel's representative, Noam Bettan, came in second with the song "Michelle," scoring 343 points, and Alexandra Căpitănescu brought Romania to 3rd place with the song "Choke Me," after accumulating a total of 296 points.

Who is Dara, the one who brought the Eurovision 2026 trophy to Bulgaria

Dara (Darina Nikolaeva Yotova), born in 1998 in Varna, became known after reaching the final of X Factor in 2015. Since 2021, she has been a coach on The Voice Bulgaria.

"Bangaranga" means to live through love, not through fear, it means you can become anything you want to be, Dara said in the Eurovision final. Previously, according to ProFM, she explained that the term comes from Jamaican slang and describes the idea of noise, chaos, agitation, and uncontrolled energy.

Boos faced by the second-place finisher, Noam Bettan

​Noam Bettan, Israel's representative, positioned himself in second place, while many people in the audience began to boo the artist, amid discontent regarding Israel's presence in the competition.

Moreover, during the first semifinal in Vienna, protest shouts were heard from the audience.

Israel's participation in this year's edition sparked calls for a boycott from several countries, amid the war in Gaza, and five countries – Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia – decided not to participate in protest.

One day before the final, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his conviction that "we are on the right side of history" by the fact that Spain did not participate in Eurovision this year, amid the war in Gaza and Israel's participation in the contest.

Who is Alexandra Căpitănescu, who brought Romania to 3rd place at Eurovision 2026

Alexandra Căpitănescu is from Galați, is 22 years old, and won season 11 of "The Voice of Romania" (2023), a moment that established her before her selection for Eurovision. In the blind auditions, she turned all four chairs, choosing Tudor Chirilă as her coach.

Căpitănescu entered the Eurovision 2026 final in Vienna on Saturday, May 16, in the second half of the evening, according to the official competition schedule. The artist from Romania was the second to last contestant, specifically the 24th, and sang shortly after midnight.

TVR writes in Alexandra's presentation that she is a graduate of the Faculty of Physics and is currently a master's student in medical physics. According to the public television, Alexandra combines an atypical academic profile with an artistic path in full development, building her musical identity around authenticity and direct expression. After winning the talent contest, the artist consolidated her presence on the music scene through her own releases and collaborations, developing a style that combines sensitivity with strong stage energy.

"The song 'Choke Me,' with which she represented Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, addresses, in a metaphorical language, the states of emotional pressure and inner blockage. The title does not have a literal meaning but describes the feeling of being overwhelmed by one's own thoughts, fears, or expectations from the outside. The message of the song is one of awareness and overcoming: about the moment when you choose to face your vulnerabilities, to accept your limits, and to find your balance again. In this construction, fragility is not hidden but becomes part of the strength to move forward," TVR shows.

Years in which Romania finished in the top 10

According to the Eurovision database, Romania has finished in the top 10 in the following years:

2002 – Monica Anghel & Marcel Pavel – "Tell Me Why": 9th place in the final

2003: Nicola – "Don't Break My Heart" – 10th place

2005 – Luminița Anghel & Sistem – "Let Me Try": 3rd place

2006 – Mihai Trăistariu – "Tornerò": 4th place

2010 – Paula Seling & Ovi – "Playing With Fire": 3rd place

2017 – Ilinca & Alex Florea – "Yodel It!": 7th place

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