Dry your tears and get ready to party! Ukraine’s Interfax news agency is reporting that the country will return to Eurovision 2016 in Stockholm.

The agency quotes Zurab Alasania, the general director of Ukraine’s National Television Company (NTU).

“Yes, we’ve decided [to participate], now [we will] get down to work. [We are] looking for better ways of doing it,” he said on Tuesday.

Alasania added that NTU will cooperate with another big Ukrainian TV channel, though he declined to give details. It sounds like they are pulling a Bulgaria, where the state broadcaster has teamed up with a private network for Junior Eurovision.

Last September, when Ukraine announced that it would withdraw from Eurovision 2015, our hearts sank. The land of divas like Ruslana and Ani Lorak (that’s Karolina backwards) brought drama and fabulosity during its first 12 appearances, and we knew this year’s Eurovision would be just a little less colourful as a result.

Their withdrawal stemmed partly from financial difficulties and partly out of respect for the ongoing crisis in the country.

In 2014 Ukraine sent Maria Yaremchuk with the song “Tick Tock”. It ultimately finished sixth in a field of 26 finalists.

Mariya Yaremchuk interview: War, politics, fashion

Are you glad that Ukraine seems to be returning next year? Do you think they will retract their statement? Let us know in the comments!

Follow all of our Ukraine Eurovision news here

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Britz26
8 years ago

SO HAPPY 😀 😀 😀 My favorite country 😀 😀

Diane
Diane
8 years ago

Glad the Mario guy doesn’t show up again and giving us the facts that we actually could see on Wikipedia *phew*

I’m not a big fan of Ukraine’s Eurovision entries except “Gravity” in 2013. Hope they bring something better than the last one they sent.

Sparrow
Sparrow
8 years ago

Now its starting to feel like Eurovision again ????

Comi
Comi
8 years ago

YAAAAAAS, my favourite ESC country is back! 🙂

#BeMyGuest
#BeMyGuest
8 years ago

So great to see one of the best Eurovision Countries coming back. Ukraine had had so many good songs in Eurovision.

Richard
Richard
8 years ago

Yeah! Love it 😀

Álex, from Spain
Álex, from Spain
8 years ago

Good! I always like Ukraine.

Adam
Adam
8 years ago

“better”? Ukraine continuously sends the best songs in the contest for the past 11 years! They shouldnt feel the need to change anything

Deniz
Deniz
8 years ago

Nevermind, Georgia just confirmed.
Man, I love all these confirmations!

Erin
Erin
8 years ago

I’m glad to see Ukraine back, just like any other country which withdrew for one reason or another. I’ll also give Ukraine credit where it’s due for 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2011. I’m not going to argue about Ukraine’s ‘savoir faire’ in putting up a show and making lemonade out of bad lemons in certain years, but just point out that Ukraine top scorers in the semi-finals and final ever since 2003 are largely former Soviet republics (with the exception of Poland and Portugal) and that’s a fact that plays into Ukraine’s high scoring in general, so when we take… Read more »

Deniz
Deniz
8 years ago

I am happy with all these returns! Ukraine will bring back something fun! But with all these confirmations, will there be any withdrawals? Moldova, Romania, Armenia, Georgia and San Marino are very silent. I wonder what they are up to.

Azaad
Azaad
8 years ago

Ukraine always manage to blend a quality song (for the most part) with crazy staging- a good formula for success.

However, I feel that we’ll have a subpar effort due to no desire to host in 2017 (with the political turmoil especially in the East), and I hope this isn’t taking priority over providing for those effected by the conflict.

Jerome
Jerome
8 years ago

Sure Eurovision 2015 was awesome, but one huge downside was Ukraine’s absence. I’m so excited to see them back for next year!

Adrian Kavanagh
8 years ago

That’s really good news. Great to see Ukraine back after missing the 2015 contest. One of the most consistently strong performers at Eurovision in the last decade and deservedly so – they always put on a great show and have this uncanny knack of getting the exact right staging for a Eurovision performance! Mind you, this more or less means one less Final place in 2016 for all the other participating countries!

Gints
Gints
8 years ago

I am very happy about the fact that Ukraine returned. I hope that next year Ukraine will participate in competitions in Stockholm with a very good and powerful song. Ukraine has never deceived the competition from 2006 to 2014, and thanks to these 9 songs and 2004 Winning song “Wild Dance” by Ruslana, believe that Ukraine are the strongest country in the Eurovision Song Contest! Greetings from Latvia! 😉

Hanner McSinny/Calvin
8 years ago

Huzzah! One of my perennial favorites is back! The thing about Ukraine is that they always find the promise in any song; no matter how awful it appears to be at first, they always find a way to make it great and kick it up seven or eight notches onstage (looking at you, “Tick Tock” and “Angel”).