SOFIA, May 17 (Reuters) - Bulgarians celebrated on Sunday their country's surprise first win in the Eurovision Song Contest as they welcomed home Dara, who triumphed with her catchy, crowd-pleasing, optimistic dance track "Bangaranga".
"This victory means a great deal to me," Dara said as she arrived on Sunday evening at Sofia airport, where cheering crowds of fans including children greeted her with flowers, waving Bulgarian flags and chanting "Dara" and "Bangaranga".
"Everything is possible," the 27-year-old said, addressing younger fans. "The fact that you are from a small country means nothing, because we can, with our hard work, with our dreams, with our daily efforts, turn the entire world upside down."
Eurovision fans had gathered in Sofia on Saturday night to watch coverage of this year's contest, which was held in Vienna and was overshadowed by a five-country boycott over the Gaza war.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev took to Facebook to congratulate Dara. Bulgaria was awaiting Europe and the world as the expected host of the 71st Eurovision Song Contest next year, he said.
Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova said on X that the pop musician was Bulgaria's greatest young ambassador, and that her victory proved that "talent, courage and hard work" could help meet any goal.
"We are all extremely proud. She won for all of us, for the whole country," Petar Stefanov, a finance specialist, told Reuters.
Bulgaria, a European Union member state, is emerging from years of political instability and at the start of this year achieved another milestone when it became a member of the euro zone.
As the world grapples with uncertainty, war and rising inflation, Dara had said that "Bangaranga" represented "a quiet belief that everything's going to be all right".
"Nobody believed that we can win and that Bangaranga can win.... It feels like a dream. I don't know if I am sleeping or is it reality?" she told a press conference after her victory.
(Reporting by Stoyan Nenov in Sofia and Renee Maltezou in Athens; editing by Barbara Lewis and Aidan Lewis)
