Kateryna Pavlenko on Ukraine’s Eurovision Participation
Kateryna Pavlenko, better known by her stage name Monokate, has shared her views on Ukraine taking part in Eurovision during wartime and addressed the national selection process and its funding. She emphasized the value of Ukraine’s presence at the international competition, calling it an excellent platform to convey messages and ideas that can rally Ukrainians.
'If you have to do it, you have to do it—participating in Eurovision is necessary. It’s a very good platform to speak out. We need it more than Europe does,' Pavlenko stated.
National Selection Budget Breakdown
The financial side of Ukraine’s Eurovision involvement also came under discussion. The final of the national selection for Eurovision 2026 cost 14.99 million hryvnias. The largest expense was technical support, totaling 3.35 million hryvnias. Set construction, including a shelter costing 100,000 hryvnias, amounted to 2.75 million hryvnias. Payments to hired staff reached 1.64 million hryvnias, while staging the performances cost 1.28 million hryvnias.
Pavlenko also recalled the negative fallout when Ukraine skipped Eurovision in certain years.
'Remember what happened when Maruv didn’t go? There was so much backlash, and essentially Ukraine missed an entire year. It was a tragedy,' she added.
She believes the national selection could be scaled up to attract more funds. 'Any business, if it operates like a proper business, should bring in more money than it invests,' Monokate stressed.
She also suggested that the show could be monetized to generate greater benefits for the country. 'Those 15 million [hryvnias] will be a very smart investment to do more and cover far more needs, including for the army,' she noted. Ukraine’s participation in Eurovision thus remains a vital part of the nation’s cultural life, even amid war.
Ukraine’s involvement in Eurovision, especially during wartime, holds strategic importance not only for boosting national morale but also for attracting investment and resources. Pavlenko’s comments highlight the need to find new ways to fund cultural initiatives in the country—an essential step in supporting both the arts and social needs. Engaging businesses and monetizing the national selection could become key factors in ensuring the stability and growth of Ukraine’s cultural sector in the future.