UA:PBC, the Ukrainian national broadcaster, has released the Vidbir 2024 Wild Card entries and set the date for the televised national final for Eurovision 2024.

The Grand Final of Vidbir 2024 is scheduled to be held on Saturday 3 February in Kyiv. The Ukrainian national broadcaster has released 9 of the longlisted songs for the Wild Card competition. The winner will join the 10 finalists at the Grand Final.

Suspilne Ukraine has released songs of 9 longlisted participants that will take part in the public voting for the 11th finalist of Vidbir 2024. The songs have been published on the Eurovision Ukraine official YouTube channel.

Online public voting to determine an additional finalist is one of the new features of this year’s national selection. According to the Vidbir rules, it will be held among the longlisted participants who did not make it to the finalist list based on the results of the auditions. The poll will be launched in the Diia app in the coming days. The complete list of finalists will be announced by December 29.

The 9 longlisted acts

• ANKA – “Palala” (Burned)
• Carpetman – “Endless fight”
• KARYOTYPE – “Sadness”
• KRYLATA – “Queen”
• PARFENIUK – “Sered vitriv” (Among the winds)
• SHÉPA – “SUPERNOVA”
• STASYA – “Rika” (River)
• SWOIIA – “Little Angels”
• TESLENKO – “Lights go up”

Vidbir 2024 Finalists

• alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – “Teresa & Maria”
• Drevo – “Endless chain”
• INGRET – “Keeper”
• MÉLOVIN – “DREAMER”
• NAHABA – “GLASSS”
• NAZVA – “Slavic English”
• SKYLERR – “Time is running out”
• YAGODY — “Tsunamia”
• YAKTAK — “Lalala”
• Ziferblat — “Place I Call Home”

Ukraine in Eurovision

Ukraine debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003 with Oleksandr Ponormayov‘s Hasta la vista, and has won the competition thrice in 2004 (Ruslana), 2016 (Jamala) and 2022 (Kalush Orchestra). The country has hosted the contest twice in its majestic capital Kyiv in 2005 and 2017.

Ukraine is one of the most successful countries in the Eurovision Song Contest and has so far not missed out competing in the Grand Final. The Eastern European nation has competed in Europe’s favourite television show every year since its debut with the exception of 2015 and 2019 when the country withdrew from the competition.

The Ukrainians have made it 12 times in the top 10 of the leader board in their 18 ESC participations, including 3 victories ( 2004, 2016, 2022), 2 2nd placings (2007, 2008), 1 3rd placing (2013) 1 4th placing (2011) and a 5th placing (2021).

In 2023 TVORCHI defended the Ukrainian colours at Eurovision 2021 with their entry ‘Heart of Steel‘ and achieving an honorable 6th placing in the Grand Final.

Source: UA:PBC
Photo credit: UA:PBC