This weekend, Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC confirmed to esctoday.com that Ukraine is set to make a return in 2020.
The broadcaster did not specify how an entrant would be selected for Rotterdam 2020. However, it would be fair to expect a national final. Ukraine has always opted for some form of national selection since 2005. Similarly, Ukrainian broadcasters UA:PBC and STB outlined last October a commitment to use Vidbir, a national final format first used in 2016, as the national selection format until 2021.
The fandom have worked out a fascinating mnemonic of Ukraine’s recent fortunes in the contest… Could we be seeing another Ukrainian victory?
Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest
Ukraine has competed in the contest 15 times, winning twice and regularly featuring in the top 10 – becoming a modern Eurovision powerhouse for songs and exceptional staging. To date, Ukraine remains one of a handful of participating countries who have always qualified for the final.
Although Ukraine was due to compete in the 2019 contest, but withdrew four days after Maruv won national final Vidbir with the evocative track ‘Siren Song’. Tipped to do well (and probable source for for leg-based injuries within the fandom!), the ‘uncomfortable question’ between previous Eurovision winner-come Vidbir judge Jamala and Maruv was the source of many a meme. So much so it won the Moldova Cup for Meme of the Season back in May.
The Vidbir drama was one of the biggest moments from the national final season. Ukrainian media covered it extensively with a multiplicity of nuanced critiques of with some added political jabs at the broadcaster and highly politicised state of Ukraine. The news even reached international media, with the BBC writing up several articles to cover the controversy.
It is still a debatable moot question if Maruv’s inability to perform in Tel Aviv benefited Iceland’s Hatari!
Are you excited to see Ukraine making a comeback? Who do you think they should send to Rotterdam and do you think they could make the hatrick of wins? Let us know in the comments below or at social media. Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates!
