Bulgaria has won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. Dara and her dance anthem "Bangaranga" topped both the public vote and the jury in a nail-biting Vienna finale, making the 27-year-old pop star the most talked-about name in Europe this morning.
Pulse of Culture was in Vienna for the entire contest, from the semi-finals to the grand finale, and this week we bring it all back to you. We cover the transformation of Vienna into the vibrant capital of European pop culture, the drama and highlights of the semi-finals, and provide a firsthand account of the grand final night itself. Poland’s Alicja Szemplińska and her gospel-R&B-hip-hop anthem "Pray" earned a strong 12th-place finish, a result that will spark plenty of conversation.
We also take a breath from the glitter with two beautiful spring stories from Poland: the Japanese tradition of Hanami celebrated at the Botanical Garden in Warsaw’s Powsin, and the annual flower festival at the historic Książ Castle in southwestern Poland, held for the 36th time. This year’s theme is "Odyssey of Time."
Pulse of Culture is a weekly English-language magazine for anyone with a connection to Poland, including tourists, the diaspora, and the simply curious. New episodes are released every Sunday.
Chapters:
00:00 Eurovision 2026 Winner revealed: DARA’s “Bangaranga” from Bulgaria wins in Vienna
01:01 Eurovision 2026 in Vienna: How the city was transformed for the contest
03:19 Eurovision 2026 semi-finals’ highlights
05:23 Eurovision 2026 Grand Finale: DARA’s win and Alicja’s 12th place
08:59 Warsaw Hanami Festival 2026: Japanese spring festival at the Powsin Botanical Garden
11:13 Książ Castle Flower Festival 2026: Odyssey of Time floral exhibition in southwestern Poland
Host: Sally Jastrzebska
#Eurovision2026 #Bangaranga #Dara
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Bringing you all the latest daily news and updates, TVP World is Poland’s first English-language channel where you can find world news as seen from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
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