DARA will be singing for Bulgaria at Vienna 2026
On Saturday 31 January, we had eight artists performing for success in Sofia, as viewers of the Bulgarian national final were tasked with selecting their singer for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.
All acts performed a song from their own back catalogue, rather than the composition they hoped to compete with in Vienna. The winner was determined by a combined vote from the television audience and a professional jury.
In the end, after performing her song Thunder, DARA was awarded the honour of singing for Bulgaria on its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest.
It was a unanimous choice, with DARA winning both the public vote and the jury vote.
Bulgaria has its singer; now it needs to find its song!
Still to come, is the third and final installment of the Bulgarian national final trilogy, on Saturday 28 February. Then, it’s time for Bulgaria to select its song for Vienna!
In this live show, DARA will perform three different compositions, with a public vote and jury vote once again contributing scores.
By the end of the evening Bulgaria will have its song for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, performed by DARA.
Meet DARA!
DARA is one of the most well-known pop musicians in Bulgaria and has also become a prominent figure in the modern Balkan music scene. She has shaped the image of contemporary Bulgarian pop with her unique voice, commanding stage presence and unrestrained genre blending.
In addition to having multiple Number 1 hits on the official Bulgarian Airplay Chart and having been included in New Music Friday streaming playlists across Europe, her songs and videos have thus far amassed over 80 million listens and views.
Through partnerships with writers and producers from the USA, Canada, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain and Romania, her global reach has been rapidly expanding. DARA has collaborated with well-known talents such as Chris Young (who has worked with Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue), Jungleboi (ZAYN, Rihanna), Yoad Nevo, and Monoir.
DARA has been pushing the boundaries of Balkan pop and is most known for her biggest smashes such as Thunder, Call Me, and Mr. Rover, which dominated the charts for weeks.
DARA has also been mentoring a new generation of musicians, via The Voice of Bulgaria, in 2021 and 2022.
Her most intimate project to date, the album ADHDARA, was released in 2025. This project marked her transition from a well-known pop artist in her home country to one with a distinct international identity and expanding global presence.
A dream win for DARA
It was a great night for DARA, who received, along with a unanimous score and her ticket to Vienna, a prize statuette made especially for BNT’s national selection by the talented Bulgarian artist Stoyan Zikov, winner of a number of national and international awards in the field of art:
“I was inspired by the philosophy of Eurovision, where talent and individual voice become a common cultural language. The statuette resembles a heart made up of separate elements that diverge and meet, but together create harmony. It is a message to the one who will represent Bulgaria on a stage where creativity is a shared emotion and a common future.”
Bulgaria will perform in the Second Semi-Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday 14 May.
