Israel at Eurovision 2026: Noam Bettan Takes Second Place in the Final
The final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest took place in Vienna. A notable event of the evening was the result of the Israeli participant. Despite political controversies and calls for a boycott from several organizations, Noam Bettan took second place with the song “Michelle”. Following the votes from the national juries and televoters, he scored 343 points.
Israel finishes the contest in second place for the second year in a row. This result demonstrates that Israeli performers continue to consistently secure high placements on the European music stage, regardless of the external political climate.
Bulgaria became the winner of Eurovision for the first time this year. Singer Dara took first place with the track “Bangaranga,” receiving a total of 516 points. Bulgaria has been participating in the contest since 2005; however, previously, due to financial difficulties, the country had to suspend its participation for several years. Its return to the contest brought the country its first victory in history.
Third place went to Romania: singer Alexandra Căpitănescu scored 296 points with the track “Choke Me”. The results of the final diverged from bookmakers’ expectations regarding the participant from Finland — considered one of the main favorites, he finished only in sixth place. In total, representatives of 25 countries performed in the final, with Moldova and Ukraine also making it into the top ten, taking the eighth and ninth positions, respectively.
The international Eurovision Song Contest has been held annually since 1956. According to the event’s rules, the next, 71st contest in 2027 will be hosted by Bulgaria as the winning country of the current year.
