Ukraine Selects Its Artist for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna

Ukraine's National Final for Eurovision 2026

According to Главком: Ukraine has concluded its national selection to choose the artist who will represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, Austria, this May. Ten performers competed in the final, with the winner determined by a combined vote from a professional jury and the public, who cast their votes via the Diia app or by SMS. The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the world's largest non-sporting television events, and Ukraine has a strong history of success in the competition.

The national selection was hosted by Timur Miroshnychenko and Lesia Nikitiuk, for whom this was a debut Eurovision hosting role. All performances and dialogue were interpreted into sign language by translators Tetiana Zhurkova, Lada Sokoliuk, Anfisa Khudashova, and Oleksandr Rudyk. The event began with a pre-show at 6:00 PM hosted by Anna Tuliieva, followed by the main final at 7:00 PM.

The Competing Artists

The ten participants in the national final were:

• Valeriya Force with the song 'Open Our Hearts'
• The group Molodi with the track 'Legends'
• Kateryna Pavlenko (Monokate) with the song 'Tyt'
• The group The Elliens, led by Olena Usenko, with 'Crawling Whispers'
• Vladyslav Karashchuk (Laud) with 'Lightkeeper'
• Lelєka with 'Ridnym'
• Valerii Miroshnychenko (Mr. Vel) with 'Do or Done'
• Khayat with the song 'Herci'
• Jerry Heil with 'Catharticus'
• The group ShchukaRyba with 'Moya Zemlia'

The lyrics for 'Moya Zemlia' were written by the poetess Daria Lisich.

Special guests at the event included past Ukrainian Eurovision winner Jamala, and Zlata Ognevich, who performed in a duet with the group Tvorchi. Also appearing were Ziferblat and Satoshi, the representative for Moldova at Eurovision 2026. The voting was split 50% by a jury composed of Ruslana, Zlata Ognevich, Yevhen Filatov, Vitalii Drozdov, and Kostiantyn Tomilchenko, and 50% by the public. Voting via the Diia app was open to those aged 14 and over, while SMS votes could be sent to number 7576, with only one vote permitted per phone number.

Eurovision 2026 in Vienna will be the 70th edition of the song contest. The grand final is scheduled for May 16, with the semi-finals on May 12 and 14. A total of 35 countries are set to participate, with 20 advancing to the final. The 'Big Five' founding nations-the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain-typically qualify automatically, though Spain has declined to participate in the 2026 contest.

The national selection for Eurovision is a significant event for Ukrainian musical culture. It not only reflects contemporary trends but also provides a crucial platform for emerging artists to showcase their talent on an international stage. Participation in Eurovision can profoundly impact an artist's career, boosting their popularity both at home and abroad.

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The selection of Ukraine's representative for the Vienna contest has attracted considerable attention from media and fans alike, underscoring the event's importance to the nation.