Vidbir 2025, has just concluded, with Ziferblat and “Bird of Pray” winning the contest and as follows Ukraine’s representation at Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel. The Ukrainian national final was helmed by Timur Miroshnychenko (co-host of Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv and Ukraine’s commentator since 2007), Masha Efrosinina (host of Eurovision 2005 ) and stand-up comedian Vasyl Baidak. Meanwhile, the backstage and pre-show for Ukraine’s National Selection for Eurovision 2025 was once again hosted by Anna Tulyeva, presenter of the Eurovision Ukraine video blog.
The show opened with an all star performance. Nine Ukrainian Eurovision superstars, Jamala (Eurovision 2016 winner), MELOVIN (Eurovision 2018 representative with “Under the Ladder.”), Katerina Pavlenko (Eurovision 2021 representative as part of Go_A with “Shum.”), TVORCHI (Eurovision 2023 representative), Jerry Heil–alyona alyona (Eurovision representatives in 2024), Ruslana (Eurovision 2004 winner), Timofiy Muzichuk (Eurovision 2022 winner as part of Kalush Orchestra) and Tina Karol (Eurovision 2006 representative) performed a special version of “Smile for me“, by Nazariy Yaremchuk, a music classic from Ukrainian music.
The participants
In the Vidbir 2025, the ten artists presented their proposals for Eurovision 2025 in the following order:
- Vlad Sheryf – “Wind of Change”
- Abiye – “Dim”
- Molodi – “My Sea”
- Future Culture – “Waste My Time”
- Masha Kondratenko – “No Time To Cry”
- Khayat – “Honor”
- FIÏNKA – “Kultura”
- Krylata – “Stay True”
- Ziferblat – “Bird of Pray”
- DK Enerhetyk – “Sil’”
The competitive part
Vlad Sheryf – “Wind of Change”
First to open the show is Vlad Sheryf with a power ballad. The LED screen show scenes with Venetian aesthetics in blue and rose gold colours, alternating with images of whirlwinds and thunderbolts. Wearing an outfit in pastel hues and a lighted flower on his chest, he knows how to move around the stage, but his vocal performance seems a little weak.
Abiye – “Dim”
It’s Abiye’s turn to take to the stage and compete to represent Ukraine at Eurovision. Accompanied by five dancers, she performs a contemporary choreography inside an inclined white structure while being bathed in red and purple colours. Wearing a red and white outfit with traditional elements she appears very vocally stable and excites the audience with her powerful message.
Molodi – “My Sea”
On the stage comes the duet Molodi consisting of singer Kiril Rogovyi and drummer Ivan Stepanishchev. They are accompanied by 4 people on vocals and the LEDs alternate between black and white patterns and blue images of the sea. They are dressed in black ensembles with silver and leather detailing, and they perform their song with so much energy that they carry the pulse to the audience.
Future Culture – “Waste My Time”
Next on stage are Future Culture with a fun participation. The LED screen shows a colourful city, while they wear white clothes and present a performance full of energy, albeit vocally they have a lot of issues. At the bridge of the song they come to the front of the stage, which is filled with bubbles which makes the crowd go crazy.
Masha Kondratenko – “No Time To Cry”
It’s time for Masha Kondratenko, one of the biggest favourites to take the stage at Vidbir 2025. The performance begins with the singer performing flawlessly against a dark background, surrounded by five women standing on columns with family images projected on their backs. In the second half, Masha and the three dancers come to the front of the now red lit stage, while the other two women the others accompany the singer on vocals.
Khayat – “Honor”
Vidbir’s 2020 runner-up, Khayat is ready to take the stage. Wearing a black outfit with gold details and a hood, he starts his performance against a dark background, while a figure playing the harp is visible in the LED screen. During the second verse, four dancers enter the smoke-filled stage to accompany the singer with an impressive choreography, while a temple is now depicted on the screen. The whole performance is elevated with golden lights and Khayat’s amazing vocals.
FIÏNKA – “Kultura”
Next on stage was FIÏNKA, which was this year’s wildcard for the Ukrainian National Final. She is accompanied by four dancers performing a modern choreography, with the singer giving a great performance that gets the audience going. The streetstyle aesthetic in the LED screen and the colourful outfits display elements inspired by the Ukrainian tradition in a way that makes the performance stand out from the others.
Krylata – “Stay True”
It’s Krylata’s turn to take the stage. Dressed in a black sparkling dress she performs a flawless performance in a white and black fondue. She is accompanied by a duo of dancers dressed in white, that later change into black. At the end of the performance an aerial dancer appears on the back of the stagethe, which is filled with colorful lights and silver dust, offering a magical result.
Ziferblat – “Bird of Pray”
Another favourite of this year’s Vidbir, Ziferblat, who came in second place in last year’s national final appear on stage. Dressed in purple and blue colours and accompanied by three girls on vocals they show a very beautiful and flawless performance. The sky-toned LED screen blends perfectly with the meadow-like setting, which matches the song’s light mood.
DK Enerhetyk – “Sil’”
The final contestants of this evening are DK Enerhetyk. The show starts with a female dancer dressed in white with a camera in her hands, dancing rhythmically. The band stands on colorful wires while grey and blue motifs and icons dominate the LED screen. Vocally they are not as dynamic as they could be and the whole performance is quite monotonous and subdued.
The results
The final result will be decided 50% by the preference of Ukrainian viewers and 50% by the preference of the jury consisting of Sergey Tancinets, Kateryna Pavlenko and Jamala.
The jury voted:
- Khayat – 10 points
- Ziferblat – 9 points
- Masha Kondratenko – 8 points
- Molodi – 7 points
- FIÏNKA – 6 points
- Future Culture – 5 points
- Krylata – 4 points
- DK Enerhetyk – 3 points
- Abiye – 2 points
- Vlad Sheryf – 1 point
The audience voted:
- Ziferblat – 10 points
- Molodi – 9 points
- Masha Kondratenko – 8 points
- FIÏNKA – 7 points
- Khayat – 6 points
- DK Enerhetyk – 5 points
- Krylata – 4 points
- Abiye – 3 points
- Future Culture – 2 points
- Vlad Sheryf – 1 point
Therefore, the final result is the following:
- Ziferblat – 19 points
- Molodi – 16 points
- Masha Kondratenko– 16 points
- Khayat – 16 points
- FIÏNKA – 13 points
- DK Enerhetyk – 8 points
- Krylata – 8 points
- Future Culture – 7 points
- Abiye – 5 points
- Vlad Sheryf – 2 points
Ziferblat with “Bird of Pray” will fly the Ukrainian flag in Basel and will claim the fourth victory for Ukraine in Eurovision 2025. Listen to the entry below:
Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on Ukraine’s Eurovision journey!
