SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) 鈥� Hundreds of cheering fans waving Bulgarian flags welcomed upon her return home on Sunday.
Visibly tired but smiling, the 27-year-old singer arrived at Sofia鈥檚 Vasil Levski Airport waving the Eurovision trophy. Bulgaria’s major television stations made changes to their regular programs to air live coverage from the airport.
鈥淭his award marks the beginning of my future international career,鈥� Dara said.
The singer won the 70th in Vienna on Saturday with her infectious party anthem 鈥淏angaranga,鈥� giving the southeast European country its first-ever victory in the competition.
鈥淲e have done something great for Bulgarian music, and I hope this sends a message that Bulgaria鈥檚 performers and artists deserve stronger support,鈥� Dara said.
She said that Bulgaria is 鈥渁n exceptionally talented nation that will continue to receive more and more attention.鈥�
Dara, whose real name is Darina Yotova, beat 24 other competitors during Saturday鈥檚 grand final of the European pop music competition. Her song鈥檚 infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine proved a hit with both national juries in participating countries and viewers around the world, whose votes together decide the winner.
Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev was among the officials at the airport. Terziev said that the capital city is ready to host the next edition of the European song contest in 2027 when Bulgaria will mark the 20th anniversary of joining the European Union.
The Balkan country鈥檚 political leaders joined the outburst of national pride.
Parliamentary speaker Mihaela Dotsova called Dara’s win an 鈥渋nspiration for the nation,鈥� while President Iliana Yotova said that it was a 鈥渢riumph for Bulgaria鈥� and Prime Minister Rumen Radev proclaimed it 鈥渁 victory with global resonance.鈥�
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
