Ukrainian singer Leléka has won the national selection and will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will take place in Vienna. She received the maximum score from both the jury and the public.
Singer Leléka won Ukraine’s national selection for Eurovision 2026 with the song Ridnym and will represent the country at the contest in Vienna. She received 10 points from the jury and also scored the maximum 10 points in the public vote.
Leléka is the stage name of Ukrainian singer, arranger and film composer Viktoriia Leleka. She was born in the town of Shakhtarske in the Dnipropetrovsk region, graduated from the Karpenko-Karyi National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television in Kyiv, and worked as an actress at the Molodyi Theatre. In 2016, she moved to Berlin, where she founded the ethno-jazz band Leléka, studied jazz vocals at the Dresden Conservatory and later obtained a master’s degree in film composition.
Alongside her main career, she is developing a solo art project titled Donba₴grl and is also known in Ukraine as the composer of the music for the TV series And There Will Be People. The song Ridnym explores themes of inner change, accepting fear and moving forward at a moment when familiar foundations disappear. The composition blends folk-jazz elements, art pop and electronic sounds, as well as a string orchestra and bandura.
The 70th anniversary Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Vienna following Austria’s victory in 2025. The grand final is scheduled for May 16, 2026, with the semi-finals taking place on May 12 and 14 at the Wiener Stadthalle. A total of 35 countries will participate, with Ukraine competing in the second semi-final.