During the Eurovision Grand Final, Israel’s entry faced a wave of boos when the audience vote propelled it to the top of the leaderboard.
As the public vote results were unveiled at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle, a chorus of jeers echoed through the venue when Israel made a significant leap up the scoreboard.
Garnering an impressive 220 points from the public, Israel temporarily claimed the lead, which sparked an immediate and noticeable reaction from parts of the audience.
The crowd’s disapproval was unmistakable as boos erupted when Israel ascended to the top position.
Austria’s hosts quickly attempted to maintain order and calm the charged atmosphere in the bustling arena as the intense voting sequence progressed.
Ultimately, it was Bulgaria that claimed victory, seizing the title in a thrilling conclusion to the event.
Israel’s participation has sparked controversy amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Five countries, including Spain and Ireland, boycotted the event in protest at Israel being allowed to compete.
Loud jeers reverberated around Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle as Israel surged up the scoreboard during the public vote reveal
Israel’s participation has sparked controversy amid the ongoing war in Gaza
Critics accused organisers of double standards after Russia was banned following its invasion of Ukraine.
Israel’s contestant Noam Bettan was booed during the semi-finals, with pro-Palestinian protesters chanting ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Stop the genocide’.
Outside the venue, Vienna became a focal point for large-scale demonstrations, with more than 1,000 musicians and cultural figures signing open letters urging organisers to bar Israel from the contest altogether.
Security was significantly tightened ahead of the final following days of unrest in the Austrian capital.
Despite the mounting pressure, Eurovision chiefs stood firm, defending Israel’s inclusion and maintaining that the competition must remain ‘neutral’.
In the end, it was Bulgarian star DARA who stole the show.
Her electrifying pop track ‘Bangaranga’ secured a historic first Eurovision win for the country, topping both the jury vote and the overall leaderboard.
The 27-year-old amassed a total of 516 points, edging ahead in a fiercely competitive contest packed with surprises.
While Israel had briefly led during the voting drama, the combined jury scores ultimately saw them slip into second place.
Scenes of jubilation erupted among the Bulgarian delegation as confetti poured from the ceiling, marking a landmark moment in the nation’s Eurovision history.
Meanwhile, it was a night to forget for the United Kingdom.
The UK’s Look Mum No Computer – with his zany entry Eins, Zwei, Drei -crashed out of the contest with just one point from the jury vote and the dreaded nul points from the televote.
For the third year running, the UK has not received a single point from the Eurovision public vote.
The final result of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest where Bulgaria finished top and the UK came rock bottom
Bulgaria’s Dara with her catchy tune Bangaranga has won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest taken the competition to the southern European country for the first time
Meanwhile, the UK’s entry Look Mum No Computer – with his zany entry Eins, Zwei, Drei – crashed out of the contest gaining just one point from the jury vote and the dreaded nul points from the televote
Following the nail-biting announcement of the results live on air, the Balkan state won with 516 points, followed by Israel on 343 and Romania in third place with 296.
The competition was full of surprises, with bookies’ favourites Finland and Greece receiving just 279 and 220 points respectively.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, fans poked fun at the UK’s bad luck (once again), as they penned: ‘UK ranking last (AGAIN) with 1 point now instead of their usual 0 is even funnier to me’.
Others penned: ‘Uk bottom again. It’s time to stop the gimmicks and return to ‘proper’ songs.’
‘Seriously, why did we send him as our UK entry, when anyone with ears knew he was going to come last?’
‘I’m gonna be brutally honest here, even if i was able to I would not have given the UK a single point.’
‘Of course! UK and Germany getting 0 from the public vote as always. Truly legendary!’.
The result marked the sixth time Britain has finished last in the competition and the second time in the 2020s after James Newman with his single Embers received nul points in 2021.
Years and Years frontman Olly Alexander and girl group Remember Monday received zero points from the televote in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Previous last-place performers were Jemini in 2003, Andy Abraham five years later and Josh Dubovie in 2010.
The slogan for last night’s pan-European musical extravaganza was ‘United by Music’, but that has been far from the case during the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.
