Winner of Eurovision 2026, overshadowed by Israel protests, has been announced
Bulgaria won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest by a large margin, an event held in the shadow of protests against Israel.
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The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Vienna in 2026. The grand final excitement took place in Austria, which earned the right to host the event thanks to last year's winner, JJ.
Following the second semi-final held at the Wiener Stadthalle as part of Eurovision 2026, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Norway, Australia, Romania, Malta, the Greek Cypriot Administration, Albania, Denmark, and Czechia secured their spots in the final. Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Armenia, Switzerland, and Latvia were eliminated at the semi-final stage.
Meanwhile, Israeli artist Noam Bettan, who took the stage during the contest's first semi-final on May 12, became the focus of protests as chants of "stop the genocide" rose from the audience.
Spanish state broadcaster RTVE, which did not participate in Eurovision 2026 in protest of Israel's inclusion, issued a call for "peace and justice for Palestine" simultaneously with the start of the contest.