The race to find Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil’s successor is on, as Ukraine’s public service broadcaster Suspilne has revealed details about the submissions it received for Vidbir.
374 songs
Suspilne has revealed that Vidbir 2025 has received 232 submissions from individual performers, and 72 for bands and groups. Acts could submit more than one entry meaning the total submitted entries were 374 songs. In addition to the Ukrainian submissions, Suspilne also revealed that it received entries from France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
This long list of entries will be whittled down over the coming months to 10 acts competeing potentially in February. The list will first be narrowed down to a longlist of 20 acts. Following that a team will select 9 entries that will go directly to Vidbir’s final; with the acts to be announced on the 20th of December. The remaining 11 acts will then go to a an online vote, with one winner being announced on the 17th of January as the full participant list is revealed.
Suspilne has earmarked between the 4th and 7th of February for rehearsals, with the show expected to be broadcast on the 8th. Due to the security situation and the effects of martial law, Suspilne will record one of these rehearsals in the event a live broadcast cannot be held. This backup recording only affects the performances of the participants, with the jury and intervals not expected to be recorded. Former Ukrainian Eurovision entrant Tina Karol acts as the producer for this edition of the contest. A few months ago Suspilne outlined the rules of the contest.
Prior to this year’s national final season we outlined how we’d reform Ukraine’s selection process. You can read our thoughts here.
What is Vidbir?
Informally known as “Vidbir”, Ukraine’s national selection has been around since 2016, when it picked a Eurovision winner–Jamala’s “1944”–right off the bat. It’s a small selection with generally between six to ten entries competing each year, and is traditionally held in February. Vidbir features a three-person jury panel, and this year an online vote as well.
Ukraine’s Eurovision Journey
Ukraine is one of the most successful countries to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has scored nine top-five placements, with an extra four top-ten finishes. Ukraine won the Contest three times – in 2004, 2016 and 2022 respectively. Ukraine made history for being the first ex-Soviet country to win the Contest more than once.
In 2024 alyona alyona and Jerry Heil represented Ukraine in Malmö with their song “Teresa and Maria”. The duo finished in 3rd place, scoring 453 points – of which 146 points came from the jury, whilst the remaining 307 points came from the televote.
Are you excited for this year’s Vidbir? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2025!
Photo Credit: Suspilne
News Source: Suspilne
Rory Gannon 
Giwrgos Oiko