Bulgaria wins Eurovision after contest overshadowed by boycott over Israel’s participation

By Issy Ronald, CNN

(CNN) — Bulgaria’s Dara has triumphed at this year’s Eurovision following a politically charged edition of the contest which has been roiled by several countries boycotting it over Israel’s ongoing participation.

Her track “Bangaranga,” a catchy club hit performed with slick choreography, was expected to do well but proved surprisingly popular with both the jury and the public vote, winning over second-placed Israel in a tense final.

For all the glitz and razzmatazz of Saturday’s grand final in Vienna, Austria, the song contest, in which acts representing different, mostly European countries compete to win a public and jury vote, was largely overshadowed by the politics surrounding it. Five countries – Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands – boycotted this year’s contest over Israel’s participation in it, marking the biggest crisis for the event in its 70-year history.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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