Suspilne, the Ukrainian national broadcaster, have opened applications for their national selection, for the 2026 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, in Ta’ Qali.

Suspilne opened the application window for their national selection on Tuesday (June 16th) and will remain open until Wednesday 8th July. Applicants can enter with either two covers or one original song. Rules for the national selection are:

• Applicants must be between 9 and 14 years old.
• Soloists and groups of up to six people may participate.
• Applications must include a short introduction of each participant and two cover versions.
• Any applicants who choose to submit an original song must submit a song between 2:30 and 3:00 in length. The song must not have been publicly released or performed before Friday 1st May.
• Submitting an original song does guarantee that the participant will advance to the next stage of the selection.
• From all of the applications, a longlist of up to 15 acts will be formed by Wednesday 29th July, who will participate in live auditions. Based on the results of the auditions, 10 acts will be selected to participate in the Star School.
• Based on the results of training at the Star School and consultations with experts, 6 acts will be selected for the live final. The songs that the acts will perform in the final will be created after the finalists have been selected.
• Suspilne has the right to form a group from applicants who did not originally qualify for the final.

Svitlana Tarabarova, Musicial Director of the Ukrainian Junior Eurovision selection, had the following to say:

“We are looking for not only strong vocals, but a real personality, because this competition is not only about vocals. Show yourself to the fullest — from video covers to self-presentations, help us see that it is you who can touch the huge audience of Eurovision fans around the world. Sometimes a big part of success is in quality preparation! I believe in each of you and am rooting for each of you!”

Oksana Skybinska, Ukrainian Head of Delegation for Junior Eurovision, had the following to say:

“After the next round of shelling and destruction, particularly in the cultural sphere, we want to give joy and hope to children. In recent years, the national selection for Junior Eurovision has become a place of creativity, development and safety for our talented children. This year, we are preparing even more interesting new features in the selection. So we are looking forward to your applications.”

Let us know what you think about Ukraine and the 2026 Junior Eurovision Song Contest – either in the comments below or on our FACEBOOK, BLUESKY, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM and TIKTOK pages.

The Eurovision Community, which Eurovision Ireland are a part of, celebrates diversity through music. Please keep your comments respectful. We will not tolerate racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, body-shaming or any other derogatory or hostile language.

Author: Richard Taylor

Source: Eurovoix