Crowds estimated to be in the tens of thousands flooded the streets of Sofia, Bulgaria, on Tuesday to welcome returning pop singer Dara, who became the country’s first-ever champion at the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend.
Dara’s song “Bangaranga,” named after a Jamaican word roughly translating to “riot,” was crowned the winner of the annual competition on Saturday, receiving overwhelming scores from both the professional jury and the public, who vote for their favorites. This weekend marked the 70th anniversary of the continental song contest, which was established in the aftermath of World War II to promote unity and healthy patriotism. It is widely believed to be the world’s most watched live music event, attracting tens of millions of spectators; estimates suggest nearly half of all Bulgarians tuned in live on Saturday.
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It was also the least controversial edition of the contest in recent memory as
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