Israel recorded another major achievement at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after singer Noam Baten finished in second place with his performance of the song “Michelle.” Baten delivered one of the evening’s standout performances and received strong support from both the professional juries and television audiences across Europe. Although Bulgaria ultimately won the competition with singer Dara and the song “Bagaranga,” Israel emerged as one of the biggest success stories of the contest.

The result marks Israel’s fourth consecutive top-five placement at Eurovision — an exceptional achievement by contest standards.

Israel has now finished:

• Second place in 2026
• Second place in 2025
• Third place in 2024
• Fifth place in 2023

The achievement strengthens Israel’s status as one of Eurovision’s most consistently successful countries in recent years.

This is also the second consecutive year that an Israeli representative has finished as runner-up, echoing Israel’s historic back-to-back second-place finishes in the early 1980s:

• Avi Toledano with “Hora” in 1982
• Ofra Haza with “Hai” in 1983

Strong Support from Audiences and Judges

Unlike some previous Eurovision years in which voting patterns sharply differed between juries and viewers, Baten managed to perform strongly in both categories.

Israeli broadcasters and Eurovision analysts described the result as a significant cultural and diplomatic achievement, particularly given the highly competitive field and the political sensitivities often surrounding the contest.

Finland, which entered the final as the bookmakers’ favorite, ultimately finished only sixth.

Eurovision’s 70th Anniversary Celebrated in Vienna

The grand final in Vienna included a large-scale celebration marking Eurovision’s 70th anniversary, with appearances by former contestants and winners from across Europe.

Among the performers were:

• Alexander Rybak
• Lordi
• Verka Serduchka
• Ruslana

The evening concluded with a tribute montage to all past Eurovision winners before the final voting results crowned Bulgaria as the 2026 champion.