The search for Ukraine’s next Eurovision contestant has begun, with the longlist for Vidbir 2026 being revealed.
Up to ten acts to compete in Vidbir 2026
In a statement released on their website, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne announced the 15 acts that remain in contention to represent the nation. Of these 15, nine will advance directly to the televised national final, with a tenth being selected from an online wildcard vote.
The longlist features former Eurovision participants Jerry Heil and Monokate (Member of Go_A), as well as former Vidbir runners up Molodi and Khayat. The full longlist is as follows:
| Anstay |
| Molodi |
| Karyotpe |
| Mon Fia |
| Mr. Vel |
| Jerry Heil |
| Leléka |
| Laud |
| Monokate |
| Khayat |
| OKS |
| Valeriya Force |
| The Elliens |
| Shchuka Ryba |
| Marta Adamchuk |
In total, 451 applications to represent Ukraine at Eurovision were made. Auditions will now be held to thin the number of selected acts down to nine. Broadcaster Suspilne will announce the acts that have advanced to the televised selection in due course. Similar to last year, a public vote will be held to determine the last finalist, with Ukrainians voting for their favourite online.
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.
What do you make of the longlist for Vidbir 2026? Who do you think could represent Ukraine in Vienna? 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!
News Source: Suspilne Media
Photo Credit: Alma Bengtsson / EBU
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