Overview
- Dara of Bulgaria won Saturday’s final in Vienna with 516 points, beating Israel on 343 and Romania on 296.
- Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands stayed out in protest at Israel’s participation, and Spain’s broadcaster RTVE declined to air the show and ran a black‑screen message calling for “Peace and Justice for Palestine.”
- Pro-Palestinian demonstrations filled Vienna streets on Saturday and police reported no incidents near the stadium, while videos from attendees captured boos for Israel during parts of the broadcast.
- New voting rules were in force, including a 10‑votes‑per‑person limit and a “rest of the world” block for viewers in non-participating countries, steps the EBU adopted after 2025 concerns about organized televote campaigns.
- Only 35 countries took part, the fewest since 2003, and Bulgaria is now set to host in 2027 as organizers confront strained relations with several public broadcasters.