Suspilne reported on 5. October that 106 submissions had been received for Vidbir, Ukraine’s national final for Eurovision. Submissions will close on October 15th.
Vidbir Organizers Encourage More Submissions
Head of Delegation Oksana Skybinska said to Suspilne that some applications were not in compliance with the rules; the organizers have received songs that have already been made public or that exceed three minutes in length, both of which are in violation of current Eurovision rules.
Dmytro Shurov, frontman of the band Pianoboy and the producer for this year’s Vidbir, said that to go to Eurovision in 2023 would be “a unique chance and honor to represent [Ukraine] in such a difficult time” and urged anyone still hesitating to take the chance and submit a song.
Vidbir 2023 will be held on December 17th and will be hosted by Timur Miroshnychenko.
Ukraine’s History at Eurovision
Ukraine is one of the most successful countries to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has scored eight top-five placements, with three additional top-ten finishes. Ukraine won the Contest in 2004 with Ruslana’s “Wild Dances” and again in 2016 with Jamala’s “1944”. Jamala’s win made history for Ukraine, as it became the first ex-Soviet country to win the Contest more than once. In 2022, Kalush Orchestra represented Ukraine in the 66th edition of the Contest with their song “Stefania”. The band scored 614 points, finishing in first place, marking Ukraine’s third victory.
Due to the ongoing Russian invasion, the contest will not be held in Ukraine this year as is customary, but instead in Liverpool, in the United Kingdom, as was announced last week. Kalush Orchestra will embark on a North American tour later this month, while Jamala will soon release a new album about her experiences during the war and her thankfulness for everyone’s support.
What do you make of the news from Ukraine? Will you be watching Vidbir 2023 on December 17th? Who would you like to see represent Ukraine next year? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we gear up for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: UA:PBC
Photo Credit: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett
