Romania finished in third place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, with singer Alexandra Căpitănescu earning 296 points for her performance of Choke Me in the Grand Final held in Vienna. She received 232 points from the public televote and 64 points from the professional juries.

The competition was won by Bulgaria, represented by DARA with the song Bangaranga, while Israel finished second with Michelle performed by Noam Bettan.

According to Eurovision organizers, Bulgaria secured its first-ever Eurovision victory with a total of 516 points, winning both the jury vote and the public televote - the first time both groups selected the same winner in nearly a decade.

Romania’s entry was considered one of the surprises of the competition, with Alexandra Căpitănescu delivering what organizers described as an electrifying performance featuring lasers and high-energy staging that brought the audience to its feet, Tvrinfo.ro reported.

Speaking after returning to Romania at Henri Coandă International Airport, Alexandra Căpitănescu thanked supporters and said the result showed Romanians can unite behind local talent, according to Agerpres.

“We finished third, but we were second in the public vote, which means we were the winners of people’s hearts,” the singer said, adding that the achievement would not have been possible without her team and supporters.

Romania’s previous best Eurovision results were two third-place finishes achieved by Luminița Anghel & Sistem in 2005 and Paula Seling și Ovi in 2010, as well as a fourth-place finish by Mihai Trăistariu in 2006.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos /Octav Ganea)