Dara of Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with her song ‘Bangaranga’ in Vienna with 516 points. Israel’s teammate ranked second with 343 points, followed by Romania and Australia in the 70th edition of the competition. However, in the middle of the festivities and dramatic unveiling of the scoreboard, several fans wondered what the Eurovision winner gets to take home.
Does Eurovision 2026 winner Dara get prize money?
Although Eurovision is very popular worldwide, it does not have any cash prize money for the winner. According to reports from OK Magazine and The Mirror, Dara’s reward for winning Eurovision 2026 is the iconic Crystal Microphone trophy, which has been awarded to champions since 2008.The trophy is handcrafted from glass and designed to resemble a vintage 1950s microphone, created by Swedish artist Kjell Engman of Kosta Boda. Smaller replica trophies are also reportedly presented to the winning songwriters and composers behind the track.Although winning Eurovision does not come with a monetary prize, it can open up a wealth of opportunities in the world of music, such as a surge in growth and international recognition.
Eurovision winners in the past who created history
The winners of past Eurovision contests have become world-famous musicians. In 1974, ABBA were the winners of the competition for Sweden, and went on to become one of the world’s largest pop groups. In 1988, Celine Dion sang for Switzerland and went on to make a career in international music for decades. More recently, the Italian rock band Maneskin capitalised on their Eurovision victory to embark on a successful international tour and headline big festivals.
Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026
The BBC confirmed that Dara won Eurovision 2026 with a combined jury and public vote total of 516 points for ‘Bangaranga’. Following the announcement, the singer returned to the stage for a celebratory performance as the Vienna crowd erupted. The final leaderboard placed Israel second on 343 points, with Romania, Australia and Italy also finishing among the strongest performers of the night.Earlier scoreboard updates from Radio Times showed tight competition throughout the evening, with countries including Finland, France and Denmark also drawing significant support during voting. The United Kingdom’s entrant, Sam Battle, better known as Look Mum No Computer, finished last after previously joking he was prepared for “nul points.”
