Six acts make the cut for Ukraine's Junior Eurovision 2026 national final

Ukraine sets its Junior Eurovision 2026 shortlist

According to Рубрика — Суспільство: Ukraine's national selection for Junior Eurovision 2026 has revealed the six performers who will battle it out on 13 September for the honor of representing the country in Malta. The live final begins at 6 p.m. on Suspilne's platforms, and the winner will be chosen through a mix of jury scoring and public votes.

The selection committee confirmed that the final challenge for the young artists was to deliver a polished reprise of their open-audition performances. As part of the preparation, the contestants took part in a masterclass led by Kalush Orchestra, the winners of Eurovision 2022. Songwriting duties are split: Svitlana Tarabarova will craft the tracks for the first three finalists, while Alyona Alyona is behind the songs for the remaining three.

Meet the six finalists

• Roman Doroshenko, 12, from the Kyiv region
• Dmytro Karabet, 10, from Kyiv city
• Erika Kolesnichenko, 11, from the Kyiv region
• Anastasia Poshedina, 9, originally from Kharkiv and now residing in Kyiv
• Marko Serdynskyi, 12, from Ivano-Frankivsk
• Zlata Solonenko, 11, from the Vinnytsia region

Junior Eurovision, which serves as a springboard for performers aged 9 to 14, will hold its international final on 24 October 2026 in Malta, marking the island nation's third time as host. A total of 16 countries are set to compete. Last year's title went to Lou Deloiz of France with the song "Ce monde," while Ukraine's Sofia Nersesian finished runner-up with "Motanka."

For young Ukrainian musicians, this national selection acts as a vital launchpad to broader recognition. Having mentors like Kalush Orchestra involved underscores how much the contest matters for the country's emerging pop scene. The eventual winner will step into a fiercely competitive international arena, a role that carries both artistic promise and a chance to boost Ukraine's standing on the global cultural stage.