Ukraine’s long standing national final, Yevrobachennia. Natsionalnyi Vidbir, is set to return next year to decide the country’s act for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna.
Ukraine to choose in February
The submission window for Vidbir 2026 has opened as Ukraine begins its hunt to find Ziferblat’s successors. This comes after it was revealed that Jamala would be the producer for this year’s contest. Open from the 3rd of September to the 27th of October, Ukrainian acts will be able to submit their song before a preliminary. In standing with previous editions of the contest there will then be 15 act long list who’ll perform in an audition round. 9 of these acts will automatically qualify to the final, with the remaining 6 going into an online wildcard round. Once all 10 acts are announced the winner will be decided in February. This year’s contest comes after Suspilne sought engagement with fans on the future of the contest.
Key dates:
- 21st of November: Preliminary list
- 15th of December: First finalists
- 15th of January: Wildcard winner announced
- February: Vidbir 2026
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 2025, Ziferblat represented Ukraine in Basel with their song “Bird of Pray”. The band finished in 9th place, scoring 218 points – of which 60 points came from the jury, whilst the remaining 158 points came from the televote.
Who do you want to see participate at Vidbir next year? 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 2026!
Source: Suspilne
Photo credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
Silvia Stifini