On Saturday 7 February 2026, Ukraine completed its national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. At Vidbir 2026, ten finalists battled for the chance to represent Ukraine, ultimately crowning LELÉKA as this year’s winner with her song “Ridnym.”
Vidbir continues to be one of Europe’s most compelling national finals, combining fierce competition, artistic diversity, and deep national resonance. The final was decided through a 50/50 mix of public televote and expert jury voting — a format that maintains both popular enthusiasm and professional evaluation.
The jury panel blended seasoned Eurovision experience with industry expertise:
- Ruslana — Winner of Eurovision 2004 (“Wild Dances”)
- Zlata Ognevich — Ukraine’s 2013 Eurovision entrant (“Gravity”)
- Yevhen Filatov — Acclaimed singer-composer
- Vitaliy Drozdov — Radio and media executive
- Kostiantyn Tomilchenko — Choreographer and stage director
The show featured an array of striking interval performances from Ukrainian Eurovision alumni — including Jamala performing her winning song “1944” with the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra — and special guest appearances that bridged Ukraine’s past, present, and future musical voices.
The Final Line-Up
- Valeriya Force – Open Our Hearts
- MOLODI – Legends
- Monokate – TYT
- LAUD – Lightkeeper
- LELÉKA – Ridnym
- Mr. Vel – Do or Done
- KHAYAT – Hertzi
- Jerry Heil – Catharticus (Prayer)
- The Elliens – Crawling Whispers
- Jerri Heil – Catharticus (Prayer)
Vidbir 2026 Final Results
| Place | Artist | Song | Jury Points | Public Points | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LELÉKA | Ridnym | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| 2 | LAUD | Lightkeeper | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| 3 | Jerry Heil | Catharticus (Prayer) | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | Mr. Vel | Do or Done | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| 5 | KHAYAT | Hertsy | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| 6 | Monokate | Tut | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 7 | The Elliens | Crawling Whispers | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 8 | Valeriya Force | Open Our Hearts | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 9 | MOLODI | Legends | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 10 | ShchukaRyba | Moia zemlia | 3 | 1 | 4 |
LELÉKA captivated both jury and audiences with “Ridnym” — a song that blends emotional depth, powerful vocal expression, and modern musicality. The entry clinched the top score from both sides of the voting split, putting it squarely on track to represent Ukraine at Eurovision in Vienna, Austria this May.
Looking Forward to Vienna
Ukraine’s Eurovision history is rich: since debuting in 2003, the country has won the contest three times and maintained a perfect record of qualification to the Grand Final in every year it has participated. With “Ridnym”, Ukraine aims to safely continue that tradition in the second semi-final at Eurovision 2026.
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