Suspline has confirmed the running order for Vidbir 2023 and presented the songs that will compete to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool next year. We heard excerpts of all the contending entries during the Ukrinform press conference today, broadcast live by Suspline via Facebook and YouTube. This was followed by each artist drawing their place in the final running order.
Who is competing in Vidbir 2023?
The competing artists, entries and their place in the running order are:
| Order | Artist | Entry |
| 1 | Moisei | ‘I’m Not Alone‘ |
| 2 | OY Sound System | ‘Ой, тужу (Oy, Tuzhu)‘ |
| 3 | DEMCHUK | ‘Alive‘ |
| 4 | Jerry Heil | ‘When God Shut The Door‘ |
| 5 | FIINKA | ‘Довбуш (Dovbush)‘ |
| 6 | KRUTЬ | ‘Колискова (Lullaby)‘ |
| 7 | Tember Blanche | ‘Я вдома (I’m Home)‘ |
| 8 | Angelina | ‘Stronger‘ |
| 9 | 2TONE | ‘Квітка (Flower)‘ |
| 10 | TVORCHI | ‘Heart Of Steel‘ |
Ukrainian head of delegation Oksana Skybinska emphasised the importance of an early draw and national selection this year, stating that while the contest is taking place in Liverpool, it will be Ukrainian at heart. Producer Dmytro Shurov, also known as Pianoboy, welcomed the opportunity for new names and ‘real professionalism’ to take over in the music scene. Starlight Production project manager Borys Pustovy expressed hope that all Ukrainians would join in, no matter where they were born nor where they live now. Head of the action implementation team Denys Ivanov said that over 3,000 Ukrainians voted for the Vidbir jury, and that anyone over the age of 14 with the app will be able to vote for their favourite act to represent Ukraine at ESC 2023.
What else do we know about Vidbir 2023?
Thanks to Ukraine’s Eurovision victory in 2022, the song that wins Vidbir 2023 will be guaranteed a place in the Grand Final of ESC 2023 in Liverpool next year.
Vidbir 2023 will take place on 17th December, hosted by Timur Miroshnychenko. The judges chosen by the Ukrainian public include ESC 2016 winner Jamala, who finished second in the vote with a 15.71% share of the total. The other two judges are Taras Topolya and Yulia Sanina. Topolya is a member of the Ukrainian band Antytila, as well as a volunteer for the Ukrainian army. He came out on top of the poll, with 17.41% of the final vote. Sanina is the lead singer of The Hardkiss, who were the runners-up to Jamala at Vidbir in 2016. Sanina finished third with 15.70% of the vote. The final selection of the act representing Ukraine at ESC 2023 will be determined by a 50/50 split between jury and public votes.
Ukraine’s Eurovision journey
Ukraine is one of the most successful countries to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has scored eight top five placements, with an extra three 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 finished in first place with 614 points, marking Ukraine’s third Eurovision victory.
What do you think of the competing songs? Will you be watching Vidbir 2023? 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: UA:PBC
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