DARA sets the record straight regarding Philipp Kirkorov, clarifying Bulgaria’s Eurovision 2026 win was due to her team’s hard work, not an alleged financial conspiracy.
The controversy surrounding the creators and producers of the winning song of Eurovision 2026 has escalated into a head-on confrontation on social media. Almost two weeks after the song “Bangaranga“, performed by the singer DARA, claimed first place, the Bulgarian artist decided to break her silence and respond directly and decisively to the claims of Russian pop star Philipp Kirkorov, who stated he played a central role in her victory.
In a response posted from her private account, the singer clarified that the song was written and produced solely by her official artistic team, and dismissed the Russian star’s involvement as merely “moral support.” This dramatic response followed an unprecedented post by the Russian singer of Bulgarian descent, also known as the “King of Russian Pop,” on his Instagram account. As previously reported regarding the conflicting narratives surrounding the song, Kirkorov’s name was initially tied to the story due to his close friendship with one of the songwriters, Greek composer Dimitris Kontopoulos. However, in his new post, accompanied by an illustration of himself as a Trojan horse against the backdrop of the Bulgarian and Russian flags at Eurovision, Kirkorov no longer speaks of musical writing in the studio. Instead, he reveals claims of a much more complex financial conspiracy, asserting that he is the “financial mastermind” responsible for the country’s return to the contest and the Bulgarian victory.
The Financial Mastermind Claim
Kirkorov detailed in his post that Bulgaria had been absent from Eurovision for six years, as its financial situation did not allow the Bulgarian national broadcaster BNT to pay the participation fees to the EBU. According to him, last year his close friends, the famous Bulgarian duo Riton, introduced him to Emil Koshlukov, who was then the CEO of the Bulgarian national broadcaster.
The singer claimed that during the conversation, the pain over Bulgaria’s absence was raised, and he promised to find a solution – and indeed, on his own initiative, brought a secret investor whose identity is kept confidential for many reasons, who fully funded the return of Bulgaria to the competition in 2026. In addition, he mentioned that the company “Dream Team”, which prepared DARA for the competition, was established by him 22 years ago, and therefore he sees himself as the real winner of the competition, while taking a jab at the team for not thanking him. He concluded that he did this as a closure of a circle and in memory of his Bulgarian father who dreamed of this victory.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
DARA Fires Back
DARA, seeing the post where Kirkorov appropriates the achievement for himself, did not hold back and quickly put him in his place in the comments section. In English and Bulgarian, she wrote to him:
“With all due respect, Bangaranga was written in 2023 at @sofiasongwritingcamp. Thank you for the moral support, but the success of this project is the result of the incredible work, talent, and dedication of @virginiarecords @monoirofficial @annejudithdsignmusic @dimitriskontopoulos @sofiasongwritingcamp @iliaskokotos @bnt.bg_ @fredrik_benke_rydman @keishamalaika.”
By tagging and giving exclusive credit to her media company, musical producers, national broadcaster, and choreographers, she effectively puts Kirkorov’s claims to rest, revealing the truth about the historic victory.
Bulgaria in Eurovision 2026
“Bangaranga” is the song that performed by the singer DARA, which represented Bulgaria in Vienna, Austria. DARA won the contest and got 516 points in the final. The song was written and composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos and Cristian Tarcea. While this is the performer’s first Eurovision entry, it marks the 15th song in the contest for composer Dimitris Kontopoulos. The song is performed entirely in English.
Eurovision 2026: This was Bulgaria’s 15th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Bulgaria joined the competition in 2005 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2026 when the singer Dara finished in first place with the song “Bangaranga”.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
