As the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 gets ever closer, countries continue to confirm whether they will be taking part in the contest in Malta in October. The latest to confirm participation at this year’s event is Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne.
Ukraine opens submissions for Junior Vidbir
Ukraine has confirmed in a press release their intention to participate at Junior Eurovision 2026 in Malta. Suspline announced that applications are now open for the national selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Vidbir. Applicants aged 9 to 14 can send their forms on the official website junior.eurovision.ua between the 16th of June and 8th of July. The process of their selection for the junior contest will take three parts.
From 16th June to 8th July, submissions including cover songs and original compositions will be open via the online form. Based on the results of this stage, Suspilne will compile a longlist of up to 15 participants. The longlist will be announced no later than July 29th. Longlist participants will then take part in live auditions, following which 10 will be selected for the Star School. Contestants will here attend masterclasses in singing, dancing, and acting, as well as completing creative tasks.
At the end of the Star School, Suspilne will announce the 6 finalists to take part in the Vidbir grand final in September of this year. The winner of the national selection for the Junior contest will be decided live on air based on the votes of the jury and the public.
Svitlana Tarabarova returns as producer
Ukrainian singer/songwriter Svitlana Tarabarova has once again been announced as the producer of this year’s Junior Eurovision national selection for Ukraine. Tarabarova has served as producer for the National Final and songwriter for Suspilne at Junior Eurovision since 2023. She has written “Kvitka” for Anastasiia Dymyd in 2023, “Hear Me Now” for Artem Kotenko in 2024 and last year’s entry “Motanka”, performed by Sofiia Nersesian at the contest in Tbilisi.
Oksana Skibinska, Director of the Special Projects Department at Suspilne and head of the Ukrainian delegation to Eurovision said of the importance of the junior contest:
Following yet another round of shelling and destruction, particularly in the cultural sector, we want to bring joy and hope to children. In recent years, the National Selection has become a place of creativity, development, and safety for our talented children. This year, we are preparing even more exciting new features at the National Selection. So we look forward to receiving your applications.
Junior Eurovision 2026 begins to take shape
The announcement from the Ukrainian broadcaster brings the total number of countries having confirmed their Junior Eurovision 2026 participation to 12, you can see the rest of the list below:
- 🇦🇱 Albania – Eslin Kurti – “Kërce me mua”
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇬🇪 Georgia – Davit Lomidze
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- 🇲🇹 Malta (Host country)
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇲🇰 North Macedonia – Ana Stojanoska – “Idnata jas”
- 🇵🇱 Poland – Wiktor Sas
- 🇵🇹 Portugal – Salvador Rio
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine
Ukraine’s Junior Eurovision journey
In 2006, Ukraine made their debut to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, with Nazar Slyusarchuk and the song “Khlopchyk Rock ‘n’ Roll” (Хлопчик рок ‘н’ ролл), which placed 9th. Since their debut, the Eastern European nation has participated 17 times, and even won once in 2012 with Anastasiya Petryk and her song “Nebo” (Небо).
Following a third place in 2024, Ukraine achieved another top five finish in 2025, when Sofiia Nersesian and her song “Montaka” placed second. She received 79 points from the jury and 98 from the online vote, ultimately winning the online vote.
Are you excited to see Ukraine participate at Junior Eurovision this year? Who would you like to see compete in their National Final? As always, let us know what you think on social media and follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, and ZOOP as we head towards Junior Eurovision 2026!
News Source: Suspline Ukraine
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming / EBU