Bulgarian singer DARA is urging Bulgarians around the world to support her participation in Eurovision 2026, where she will represent the country with the song ?Bangaranga? during the semi-final in Vienna on May 14.

Messages circulating among Bulgarian communities abroad, including in Germany, highlight coordinated voting efforts. ?DARA needs our support! On May 14, let's vote and help send her to the final! Every vote from abroad matters,? one post in the ?Bulgarians in Dsseldorf? Facebook group reads, encouraging participation via the official Eurovision voting platforms, including esc.vote.

DARA has consistently underlined the importance of the diaspora vote. After a meeting with the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, she said: ?I?ve met many Bulgarians around the world, and I know how strong their connection to Bulgaria remains. This participation is not only about me, but about our country too. It would mean a lot to me to feel their support.?

In the days leading up to the contest, she has also addressed Bulgarian communities in several European countries through video messages. In one, she says: ?I would be very grateful for your vote in the semi-final on May 14 in Vienna. I truly hope we will experience the final together as well.?

Ahead of the performance, DARA has already completed rehearsals on the Eurovision stage. Early impressions describe the staging as energetic and confident, with a strong visual identity and polished choreography. At the same time, reports suggest the Bulgarian delegation has made last-minute refinements to ?Bangaranga? ahead of the semi-final.

Speaking before leaving Sofia for Austria, she framed her participation as both personal and national. ?I am going to Vienna not only as an artist performing a song, but also as a representative of Bulgaria - of the people who love this country, of those who live there and of those who live far away but still carry Bulgaria within them,? she said. She also thanked BNT for the opportunity to represent the country, adding: ?I love my country, and I will do my very best to represent Bulgaria with dignity.?

This year's Eurovision format also allows viewers outside participating countries to vote, a change that Bulgarian National Television (BNT) believes could significantly boost diaspora engagement.

DARA will open the second semi-final on May 14, taking the first performance slot in Vienna.

At the Eurovision opening ceremony marking the 70th edition of the contest, she appeared on the turquoise carpet stretching from the Burgtheater to Vienna City Hall, where all delegations were introduced in alphabetical order. DARA drew attention with a traditional Bulgarian Kukeri-inspired outfit, joking that she had ?driven away evil spirits? from the event.

She also described ?Bangaranga? as more than a song, saying: ?Bangaranga is a feeling that everyone carries within themselves. It is a special energy we all possess - the moment when you choose to live through love, without fear, when you decide to be bold and be yourself.?