Suspilne, the Ukrainian national broadcaster, has confirmed its participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
Ukraine will participate in Junior Eurovision 2026. The Ukrainian representative for Taโ Qali will be selected through a national final, which will take place in September. The application window for the national selection will open soon.
Oksana Skybinska, Head of Delegation for Ukraine at Junior Eurovision, explained:
โThis year, Junior Eurovision will take place earlier than usual. Since the contest is scheduled for October, the final of the national selection should also be expected earlier, in September. We are already preparing many surprises for the participants of this yearโs national selection. The application deadline will be announced soon. We will look forward to applications from talented children who dream of a big stage. We continue to dream boldly .โ
Svitlana Tarabarova will return as the Musical Director for the Ukrainian selection for Junior Eurovision. She added:
โThe path to Malta begins with a simple application for the competition. I am waiting and preparing to surprise the world with you.โ
Sofia Neresesian represented Ukraine at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with โMotankaโ. She won the public vote and finished second overall with 177 points. This was Ukraineโs best result at Junior Eurovision since 2013.
Junior Eurovision 2026
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place October 24 in the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Taโ Qali. This will be the third time that Malta will host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, having done so previously in 2014 and 2016.
To date, the following countries have confirmed their intention to compete in the 2026 contest:
- ๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania: Eslin Kurti โ โKรซrce me muaโ
- ๐ซ๐ท France
- ๐ฌ๐ช Georgia: Davit Lomidze
- ๐ฎ๐ช Ireland
- ๐ฎ๐น Italy
- ๐ฒ๐น Malta
- ๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands
- ๐ฒ๐ฐ North Macedonia
- ๐ต๐ฑ Poland: Wiktor Sas
- ๐ต๐น Portugal: Salvador Rio
- ๐ธ๐ฒ San Marino
- ๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine
The following countries, who have previously participated, have declined returning to the contest:
- ๐ฆ๐บ Australia: Last participated in 2016
- ๐ง๐ช Belgium: Last competed in 2012
- ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark: Last participated in 2005
- ๐ช๐ช Estonia: Last participated in 2024
- ๐ฉ๐ช Germany: Last participated in 2024
- ๐ณ๐ด Norway: Last participated in 2005
- ๐ธ๐ฎ Slovenia: Last participated in 2015
- ๐ธ๐ช Sweden: Last participated in 2014
- ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌWales: Last participated in 2019
The following countries have ruled out debuting in the contest:
- ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia: Never broadcast the contest
- ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland: Last broadcast the contest in 2003
- ๐ฎ๐ธ Iceland: Last broadcast the contest in 2021
Source: Suspilne
Ukraine debuted in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 and has competed in the contest ever since. To date, Ukraine has only won the competition once. In 2012, Anastasiya Petryk won in Amsterdam with the song โNeboโ. She scored 138 points, including eight sets of 12 points. Ukraine has hosted the contest twice, the first time in 2009 and the second in 2013 following their victory in Amsterdam.
