Dara

Darina Nikolaeva Yotova (Bulgarian: Дарина Николаева Йотова; born 9 September 1998), professionally known as Dara (Дара; stylised in all caps), is a Bulgarian singer and songwriter. She first rose to prominence in 2015 after reaching the final in the Bulgarian edition of The X Factor. In 2016, she released her debut single "K'vo ne chu", and in 2022, she released her first studio album, Rodena takava under Virginia Records. In 2026, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Bulgaria with the song "Bangaranga", giving her country its first ever win in the competition since the country's debut in 2005. The song won both the jury vote and televote in the contest.

She graduated from the Dobri Hristov National School of Arts in Varna, where she studied folk singing using traditional Bulgarian vocal techniques.

In 2015, Yotova took part in the Bulgarian edition of the reality series The X Factor, in which she finished third, with the Bulgarian rapper Krisko as her mentor.

Following her departure from The X Factor, Yotova signed a record deal with the Bulgarian music label Virginia Records and adopted the stage name Dara. In the summer of 2016, she released her debut single, "K'vo ne chu", accompanied by a music video. A few weeks later, the single reached the top of the Bulgarian charts, and an English-language version of the song, titled "Onto You", was released on 29 September for an international audience.

On 12 March 2017, Dara released her second single "Rodena takava", also accompanied by a music video. A few months later, on 21 July, she made her first guest appearance on a single named "Nyama da si tragnesh s drug" by labelmates Plamen & Ivo alongside Bulgarian hip-hop duo Pavell and Venci Venc'. On 29 September, Dara's third single "Nedei" was released on YouTube with an official music video.

On 20 June 2018, Dara released her fourth single "Vse na men", along with a music video.

In early 2020, Dara starred in the TV show Kato dve kapki voda, the Bulgarian version of Your Face Sounds Familiar, finishing in third place in the final.

Since 2021, Dara has been a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria. In 2022, on the ninth season, Jacklyn Tarrakci, a member of Team Dara, won the competition. This made Dara the winning coach. In 2024, during the eleventh season, Dara's artist, Slaveya Ivanova, won the competition, marking Dara's second win in four seasons as a coach.

In March 2022, Dara won the Fashion Teen Idol award at the Code Fashion Awards, as voted by the event's teen audience. In April of the same year, she released her debut album, Rodena takava, accompanied by a live performance at Joy Station Sofia.

In March 2023, Kai released "Rover", a remake of Dara's original "Mr. Rover", on his solo album Rover.

In the spring of 2024, she participated in the fifth season of Dancing Stars, where she finished as the runner-up.

On 19 September 2025, Dara released her second studio album ADHDara.

In early 2026 Dara participated in the Bulgarian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. After winning the second show on 31 January 2026, she was selected to represent Bulgaria at the contest in Vienna. The song with which she competed in Vienna, "Bangaranga", was selected on 28 February 2026. Dara won the second semi-final and then went on to win the contest, scoring 516 points Her victory marked Bulgaria's first win in the contest. She also won the Marcel Bezençon Award for the Best Artistic Performance category, voted by the participating commentators. Her 173 point margin of victory over 2nd place is the highest margin ever recorded in the history of the contest. She was also the 1st artist since 2017 to win both the jury and the audience vote. As of August 2026, the song has surpassed 50 million streams on Spotify.

In 2025, Dara was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Since 2022, Dara has been in a relationship with doctor Ervin Ivanov. The couple made their first public appearance together that same year, and in February 2024 they announced their engagement during a trip to Thailand. They were married in June 2025 in a private ceremony in Bulgaria.