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Bulgarian Eurovision 2026 representative DARA discusses her stage revamp with Benke and Keisha, hidden talents, and her connection to “Michelle”.

Just before she takes the stage tonight for the second semi-final in Vienna, we are publishing a special interview with DARA, the representative of Bulgaria for Eurovision 2026 with the song “Bangaranga”.

In the midst of an intense schedule during this final week in Vienna, the EuroMix team met the singer and her crew at their hotel. Despite early wake-up calls and exhausting rehearsals leading up to tonight’s show, the Bulgarian artist radiated an electric energy that was impossible to ignore. Between feelings of homesickness, a surprising bond with the Israeli song, and the immense responsibility on her shoulders, she opened the interview with an enthusiastic “HELLO!” to the camera, proving she is ready to own the stage.

Watch the full interview:

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Keeping the Best for Last and Relinquishing Control

Although the revamp of “Bangaranga” hasn’t been fully revealed, fans got a short and impressive taste in the 30-second rehearsal snippet released last week. Dara says she feels much more secure with the changes made, but admits she is hiding most of the surprises. “We have a lot of things that you’ve never seen, no in the videos neither on the photos that Eurovision or me are posting,” she declares. “We still hide a lot of things because I think it’s much more interesting to see it all on the 14th and to be surprised… I just think that we need to hold the best for the last”.

The artistic direction for her performance is led by some of the most esteemed choreographers of recent years – Keisha from Sacha Jean-Baptiste‘s company, alongside Fredrik “Benke” Rydman. “We clicked for the first time we saw each other, we were like, ‘we got it’,” she shares, emphasizing the importance of team chemistry. “It’s the most important thing for an art team is to have click because otherwise it’s going to be so hard to match energy, to match ideas… it was a full puzzle”.

Beyond singing and dancing, Dara has a hidden talent she will showcase to all of Europe: performing live sound sampling on stage. “Sometimes you know producers takes a lot of time to comp or to just do a sample and I’m just let me do it… I-I-I-I can do it,” she says proudly. “I’m actually doing live sample chopped in Eurovision as well… It’s my hidden talent now. I can show it to the whole Europe”.

A Childhood Dream and Circus Wardrobes

Bulgaria’s much-anticipated return to the contest brings up deep emotions for Dara. “Always I felt responsible always ever since I was five. I felt super responsible for my country because this is been dream and ever since I was five dancing on the carpet singing and dancing,” she shares excitedly. Her main goal is to be an inspiration for the next generation. “For me coming back as a Bulgarian is so important for every young girl boy and not only for everybody in Bulgaria to see that we can do everything, that everything is possible… I want to give them the ‘Bangaranga’ feeling and be like, ‘Hey kid, no matter where you’re from, you can do that too. Let’s go!'”.

To feel at home amidst the madness, the artist brought a massive wardrobe to Vienna. “What I did not pack is a real question,” she answers with a laugh. “Full-blown wardrobe. I asked for handles like they give me 50 handles. I use all of them. Like my room is like a circus show… I wake up to a lot of fur and a lot of just clothes everywhere”. By the way, she has no intention of stopping after the contest – Dara revealed she dreams of going on a European tour, with a new merchandise collection coming out in just a few days.

The Connection to “Michelle”

One of the most vulnerable moments in the interview occurred when Dara was asked about the song by the Israeli entrant, Noam Bettan. It turns out “Michelle” holds a deep, personal meaning for her. “First of all, my best friend is called Michelle, so it was so crazy. The first time I heard the song, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is my new answer to her’,” she reveals. “She just had her birthday on 2nd of May. So yeah, it reminded me of her and I was so emotional because you know I miss her so much”. Dara explains that due to her busy schedule, she only sees her friend once every few months, so the song plucks at her heartstrings. She jokingly adds about the song’s lyrics: “My Michelle is taken already, so no rings for her. Thank you”.

As the interview concluded, she wanted to send a warm message to the international fans and the EuroMix audience supporting her: “Thank you so much for the support. When I wrote Bangaranga, I had a feeling that we can make people feel this emotion of great energy awakening and I hope you can feel that and connect with this”.

If you’d like to vote for DARA and your country is participating today in the second semi-final, you can vote for her as song no.1!

Tell us in the comments: What do you think of the Bulgarian entry this year, and do you believe Dara will manage to surprise us all in the live broadcast?

watch her second rehearsal snippet: