Bulgaria Wins 70th Eurovision Song Contest

The contest took place under heavy political tension for the third year running, as five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotted in protest at Israel's military actions in Gaza. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched near the arena before the final, carrying signs that read "Block Eurovision." A separate concert called "No stage for genocide" was held outdoors in Vienna at the same time. Although Bettan's ballad drew loud cheers, scattered boos also broke out, and four people had been removed from his semifinal earlier in the week.

Eurovision director Martin Green urged viewers to set politics aside and enjoy the show, which reached 166 million viewers worldwide last year — a figure the five-country boycott could threaten. The United Kingdom suffered another humiliation: synth-pop act Look Mum No Computer finished last with the bilingual novelty song "Eins, Zwei, Drei," the British entry's third bottom-place finish since 2020. Looking ahead, Eurovision will launch a spinoff, Eurovision Song Contest Asia, which is set to debut in Bangkok this November.