Suspilne, the Ukrainian national broadcaster, has opened the song submission window for Vidbir 2025 and published the rules and regulations of the competition.

A total of 10 acts will compete at the Ukrainian national final- Vidbir 2025. The song submission window will be running from 17 Setember-10 November 2024. Vidbir 2025 is scheduled to be held in February 2025. The 2025 Ukrainian Eurovision entry will be determined via combined jury/public televoting deliberation.

Tina Karol (Ukraine 2006/Vidbir 2005 Music Producer) says:

It is important that one artist can submit several songs: two, three or even four. They can be submitted even in demo versions. Experiment! You can also submit one song in different versions. But there are important selection criteria: they must be original author’s songs. Tracks created on the basis of other compositions are not accepted. Folk songs are not accepted. Songs that have already been published, even if it’s only 10 seconds long, are not accepted. And remember that the song’s timing should be 3 minutes.

Criteria and main rules for Vidbir 2025

• — Artists who will reach the age of 16at the time of the final of the Eurovision Song Contest – 2025 can take part in the National Selection . As in previous years, both solo performers and bands, the composition of which does not exceed 6 people, can apply for participation. 
• — According to the rules, participants of the Ukrainian National Selection for Eurovision 2025 cannot participate in the selections held by other participating countries of the contest.
• — The selection requirements provide for a song to be up to 3 minutes long . Original songs created without the use of other works are allowed to participate. In addition, a song applying for participation in the National Selection must be one that has not been published or performed publicly before. 
• — The number of submitted songs from one participant is not limited. In addition, the rules of the National Selection allow submission of demo versions. 
• — Based on the results of the national preliminary selection, a longlist of participants will be formed who will continue to participate in the National Selection. The list will include up to 20 artists . Longlist participants must pass an audition, personal participation in which is mandatory.
• — According to the results of the audition, a list of finalists will be chosen by December 20 , which will include up to 9 performers . 

— Among the participants of the longlist who do not make it to the list of finalists, a rating online vote will be held, it will determine one more participant of the final. The full list of finalists will be published by January 17, 2025 .

— The final of the National Selection will take place in February 2025 . The winner of the selection will be determined based on the results of the jury and audience voting .

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 13 times in the top 10 of the leader board in their 19 ESC participations, including 3 victories ( 2004, 2016, 2022), 2 2nd placings (2007, 2008), 2  3rd placing (2013, 2024) 1 4th placing (2011) and a 5th placing (2021).

In 2024 Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil represented Ukraine at the Eurovsision Song Contest in Malmo with their entry ‘Teresa & Maria’ achieving an honorable 3rd place in the Grand Final.

Source: Suspilne
Photo credit: Corinne Cumming