Viral posts falsely claim Eurovision winner was secretly bought

A viral X station claiming that Eurovision's 2026 contention was secretly "fixed" successful Finland's favour dispersed wide successful the days starring up to this year’s last successful Vienna.

The post, which initially circulated connected TikTok, amassed much than 1 cardinal views and presented itself arsenic grounds from a Eurovision "security guard."

"I tin freely accidental done a concealed relationship that the victor is picked," the viral station said, alleging that Finland had offered organisers of the contention astir €16 cardinal to unafraid victory.

However, this assertion aboriginal unravelled during the last itself erstwhile Finland — tipped arsenic a favourite to triumph the contention successful betting markets and among fans — yet finished successful sixth spot erstwhile the televote was announced, with Bulgarian popstar Dara taking location the trophy.

The anonymous relationship down the viral assertion has nary verifiable transportation to Eurovision and nary erstwhile posts, nor did it supply screenshots, documents oregon immoderate verifiable accusation linking itself to Eurovision's organisers.

A spokesperson for the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the Eurovision Song Contest, told america successful the run-up to the expansive last that the allegation was "false information."

How Eurovision's voting strategy works

The assertion the station makes straight contradicts however the EBU's voting strategy works.

According to the broadcasting union, Eurovision's last effect combines nationalist televotes with rankings submitted by nonrecreational juries successful each participating country.

National juries are composed of 7 euphony manufacture professionals who fertile performances during a formal rehearsal earlier the unrecorded final.

Public viewers ballot for their favourite acts during the last via phone, substance connection oregon online — each for a interest — though they are not allowed to ballot for their ain country.

Votes, according to the EBU, are processed done telecom operators, outgo providers and nationalist voting partners earlier they are independently verified.

This year, successful effect to concerns raised by broadcasters implicit promotional campaigns for acts, the EBU announced it would trim the fig of votes viewers tin formed each from 20 to 10 and introduced caller rules that discouraged "government-backed campaigns."

It wasn't the lone mendacious assertion to dispersed amidst the contest. The Cube, Euronews' fact-checking team, recovered a raft of claims circulating connected societal media claiming that the contention was rigged and posts claiming assorted countries had paid to triumph the contest.

After Dara was announced arsenic the winner, societal media users connected Reddit and X circulated unsupported claims that Israel had funded the Bulgarian enactment alongside respective others.

Eurovision acts are chiefly funded by their country's nationalist national work broadcaster.

In this case, publically disposable reports amusement that Bulgarian National Television (BNT), alongside Dara's Bulgarian grounds label, Virginia Records, organised and supported Bulgaria's Eurovision participation, including its nationalist enactment process, staging and costs to participate the contest. Dara partnered with international writers and producers for her deed "Bangaranga".

We recovered nary credible grounds of undisclosed Israeli authorities backing of Bulgaria's entry.

False claims dispersed amidst controversy

The bulk of allegations that Eurovision was rigged emerged connected societal media, among others, during heightened scrutiny implicit the contest's voting strategy and promotional campaigns.

In the past 2 years, investigations by the New York Times and the EBU's ain fact-checking unit, Eurovision News Spotlight, person examined Israeli government-backed promotional campaigns encouraging viewers successful participating countries crossed Europe to ballot for Israel’s Eurovision entry.

Israeli broadcaster KAN said that it believed nary Eurovision rules had been breached successful effect to the controversy.

Additional authorities enactment and promotion of Eurovision acts, beyond that provided by state-backed broadcasters, is not unusual, with tourism boards and taste institutions successful peculiar sponsoring artists' promotional tours and publicity efforts.

The EBU said it remained assured that the 2025 contention had delivered a "valid and robust result" contempt complaints from respective nationalist broadcasters implicit televoting transparency and promotional campaigns.

The EBU aboriginal tightened its rules connected the fig of nationalist votes successful effect and introduced measures discouraging what it called "disproportionate" government-backed campaigns.

It's not the archetypal clip the EBU has altered the competition's rules amidst controversy. In 2022, it removed assemblage votes during the 2nd semi-final from six countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and San Marino, aft identifying what it described arsenic "irregular voting patterns."

This controversy, which was denied by broadcasters, led to organisers temporarily removing nonrecreational juries from the semi-finals betwixt 2023 and 2025. Jury votes successful the semi-finals were reintroduced for this year's competition.

However, dissimilar what viral posts claim, nary of the controversies surrounding Eurovision's voting strategy has produced credible grounds that the contention victor is secretly predetermined by countries offering the EBU wealth successful speech for victory.