Kyiv calling! This afternoon and evening, we were glued to our screens watching another edition of Ukraine’s selection Vidbir. Ten acts competed to represent the country at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, but only one could win. Ziferblat will represent Ukraine at Eurovision this year.
In a four hour-long spectacle, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne showed off the country’s best new names in music. Vidbir producer German Nenov previously teased a big production.
The ten names in Vidbir 2025 included former selection participants FIÏNKA, Khayat and Ziferblat. Newcomers Molodi, DK Enerhetyk, Masha Kondratenko and Krylata challenged them as well as unknown stars Abiie, Vlad Sheryf and Future Culture.
A pre-show started at 17:00 CET on Suspilne Kultura and on social media. You could watch it live on YouTube too, including with English commentary. The actual Vidbir started at 17:30 CET and lasted until 21:30 CET.
Ukraine’s representative was determined by a combination of a jury panel vote and a public vote. Each vote weighed 50% and in case of a draw, the public vote decided the winner.
This year, the panel consisted of Jamala, Serhiy Tanchynets and Kateryna Pavlenko. They gave short feedback after each performance before voting. The public vote was determined by a combination of SMS voting and voting from the Diia app – an e-governance app in Ukraine. SMS voting returned after last year’s Diia app voting crash – which left Vidbir 2024 to run dramatically overtime. Public voting was originally scheduled to start approximately 19:30 CET, but started around 20:30 CET instead.
Vidbir is no Vidbir without a little drama. For the second year in a row, the Diia app had capacity problems, but this time, Suspilne came prepared. Despite that, the show did run a little over time.
Vidbir 2025 running order
- Vlad Sheryf
- Abiie
- Molodi
- Future Culture
- Masha Kondratenko
- Khayat
- FIÏNKA
- Krylata
- Ziferblat
- DK Energetyk
Vidbir 2025 results
Jury results
- Khayat – 10 points
- Ziferblat – 9 points
- Masha Kondratenko – 8 points
- Molodi – 7 points
- FIÏNKA – 6 points
- Future Cultura – 5 points
- Krylata – 4 points
- DK Enerhetyk – 3 points
- Abiie – 2 points
- Vlad Sheryf – 1 point
Public vote
- Ziferblat – 10 points
- Molodi – 9 points
- Masha Kondratenko – 8 points
- FIÏNKA – 7 points
- Khayat – 6 points
- DK Enerhetyk – 5 points
- Krylata – 4 points
- Abiie – 3 points
- Future Culture – 2 points
- Vlad Sheryf – 1 point
Did you watch Vidbir 2025? Are you happy with the fact that Ziferblat will represent Ukraine at Eurovision 2025 with “Bird of Pray”? Please let us know in the comments down below!
Ukraine thank you for originality since 2016
They really have a vision for their music. Explained it well!
c’mon guys… the song is amazing and atmospheric
Good luck to them but it is one of weakest songs selected so far 🙁
Very different to everything else, including previous entries from Ukraine, but that’s not a bad thing. I like it!
I liked Ukraine’s many of its previous entries but this one is really bland, looks unprofessional and average.
The chorus is look like a mix 🙁
You’ve commented herein this article as Fabian, Thomas & Adrian – all negative. You did this last year too for Ukraine. Why? Do tell.
@William Lee Adams
Just block his IP for God’s sake
The chorus is quite annoying tbh
And the broken English (which can be charming sometimes) reminds me a lot of Melovin, which is off-putting
every time ukraine sends a weak entry, they hide all the flaws behind great staging, so we should expect the same here. they will qualify.
This song is just not the genre that Eurovision fandom is used to. Too prog rock for the fans. (From my observation, ESC fandom prefers ethnic bops and something with a certain cheese factor. They can also go for something challenging, like Ireland 2024 and Portugal 2019.) But that doesn’t mean it is a bad song or performance. Personally I like it and think it will qualify on its own merit.
Completely agree. Eurovision is at its strength when a variety of genres are present. God forbid if every year only bops take part in the contest to keep a specific part of the fandom happy.
Ziferblat for me are a lovely addition to the contest in an up to now dire year.
Horror song. Last place so far.
There seems to be a lot of negativity to this winning. I personally like it and wish them all the best. Will it qualify? Of course it will. There is no chance of it not qualifying.
Unexpectedly bland song from Ukraine; really not good.
Really disappointed; this is the worst Ukraninan entry; way worse than many of its previous songs 🙁 Neither the song, nor the lyrics, they look like a high school band singing an average song
I like most of Ukraine’s entries but this one no… it has been a while since I didn’t like an entry from Ukraine. Best of luck though!
Great choice from Ukraine. The song and vocals are a winner. The staging is the only thing that needs to change but Ziferblat have got time to do this and probably will! Disappointed the Eurovision fandom doesn’t see what Ukrainians see in this song! It’s beautiful and made me cry the first time I heard it! The casual audience has more of an ability to connect with it – don’t write this song off!
Yeah, I can agree with you with the staging. I thought the colours were good, as it was similar to the music video, but the grass was a bit too much. Hopefully that’ll change!
Don’t you have any musical taste? 🙂 This is the worse compared to Ukraine’s many previous entries; you don’t need to praise each and every Ukrainian entry.
Neither the song nor the vocals are good.
Could go far, because it’s nice and rocky,
and I don’t see any better songs at the moment.
But we have just about 12 songs now, I think.
No !
Amazing, stunning, a literal perfection.
Kyiv 2026
Are you deaf?
The song is terrible, but unfortunately it will qualify, as there are many Ukrainins refugees around Europe who’ll vote for it, as it happened in the recent years.
why was ukraine always on top before the war? what excuses will you come up with to not be envious:)
But don’t think that this song would be in top10 because it is really bad
Even if this was true it’s just one of the perks with your country being a complete war zone. I wish it for no country. And if it happened maybe some refugees could help their music thrive. In any country, how many people live there, how many people normally vote and how large is the diaspora? I don’t think it’s a valid argument. But if it was valued we cannot blame people for staying in a safe place. May Ukraine prosper in peace.
Perhaps Ukraine’s first NQ. If Eurovision voting was fare (and I am clearly against what’s happening at their country), this wouldn’t qualify. Stefania wasn’t even at my top-10, but I did’t mind that winning, people seemed to love it. But who’s gonna love this , really ?
Well, this has been loved by lots and lots Ukrainians since it was presented. And it was obvious for every Ukrainian who follows Vidbir that they would most probably win.
not it was not obvious at all. I voted for Khayat
I feel like I’m the only one who absolutely loves Ziferblat, haha. I’m very happy with the results but I would’ve been fine sending Masha or Fiinka. Great NF from Ukraine as always!
No Emily you are not the only one who loves Ziverbkat. I love them too and I am very happy that they won in Ukraine. They were my favorites and the song is amazing
Ziferblat
Welcome to the Ziferblat fan club ! This song has undoubtely meaning and character and I appreciate this a lot.
I like them too. And I only heard the song after they won, so for me there was immediate impact
Really wonder how this song was even put in 2nd position by the juries 🙁 Didn’t they have any musical taste?
The same band came first with them last year!
What is up with all this negativity? I am ECSTATIC this won. It’s my favourite of the year so far across all national finals. It’s very unique, retro and modern at the same time and it’s stuck in my head. Ukraine never fails to make the best choice, I am SO glad they are sending Bird of Pray. With that weak of song selection, this could easily land in the top 5!
This is average and it is quite and insult to the better songs in this competition.!
I agree; it is not even possible to listen that song 🙁 One of the most bland entries of this year
I don’t see any better songs at the moment, but we have just about 10 songs now, I think.
I meant to the better songs in Vidbir .
Don’t pronounce begging like that. I don’t want that dude to do that kind of stuff with a bird. Overall the song isn’t good either. But repeating he will b*nging a bird is just so weird. Nice try, Ukraine, for something different, but probably nil points. At least Ukraine has scored high ever since they entered the contest. Not this year though
This song deserves bottom 5 position; definitely no higher.
The winners were in my personal rating in 4th place after Masha, Khayat and Molodi. But I still wish them luck, the song has potential and after some work it can be in the top 10.
I also liked the interval acts on Vidbir – the magnificent diva Tina Karol, the funny performance of the stand-up comedians with their Eurosong, Jamala and Ruslana are always on top and a heartbreaking performance by a Junior Eurovision contestant.
I would like Ukrainian Vidbir to at least once every few years turn from a competition of young talents into a competition of famous, established Ukrainian artists.
Sorry not my liking. The english pronunciation is very poor, can’t figure it out what’s he singing about . I wish him all the best.
Not my favourite. But Ziferblat has a charm on itself which could be beneficial In the long term (for their song of course). For now, borderline at best.
I hope this year will pick up soon. For me, it seems almost every year feels weak at the beginning but this year the feeling seems to linger… this is not as bad as most song that already came out his year. But yeah, not the best.
From musical standpoint this is a gourmand masterpiece, but the whole staging needs to be revised and changed, it ruins the song. I know Ukraine slays at staging every year, so I am not worried, I just wish Ziferblat would have approached today’s performance more seriously, considering they knew that they were favorites to win. This was a letdown on their side, but in May everything is going to change, l’m sure of it.
Masterpiece?? This is the worst Ukrainian entry.
I am afraid if other songs would be weak songs just as the ones selected so far like Ukraine’s entry; Sweden would win again, even if I don’t want another Swedish win.
Ukraine’s song is really bland.
Unless Sweden turns out to be very bad too.
Swede here. What about Finland?
“¿Eso qué tiene que ver?, ¿eso qué tiene que ver? Eso no tiene que ver nada. Mira wey: chingas a tu madre, wey”
I wish Ukraine would quickly Fall in the odds because this song doesnr even deserve to be in top 10.
how can a strange very complicated song like this winning a televote?
serious?
really don’t understand 🙁
Position 2 in the running order for semi final one i think.
Clearly the worst Ukrainian entry in their history and the worst of weak choices for ESC 2025. Is he related to some rich people? Because I can’t see it being chosen by neither people nor jury. There must have been either a mistake, technical issue with voting or corruption
Maybe make up for being last year’s runner-up? I don’t know.
Khayat took part 3 times. Why not him than
That song can do well in Junior Eurovision, I guess 🙂
It’s different, I’ll give it that, but for Ukraine’s standards it is disappointing. It will still qualify because it is Ukraine
masha had the best song for me, that was easily top 3 potential – this song is okay, but it’s not a song i find myself wanting to listen to.
Eurovision 2024: ‘I was a mess!’
Eurovision 2025: ‘Hold My beer!’
Instrumentally solid but suffers somewhat from dodgy English syndrome, otherwise their most interesting proposal since Shum I’d say
Still nowhere near as iconic as Grisana’s Kohoney tho…
The winner’s speech was very strong too. Essentially, Danya (the lead singer) said that he was glad that the public broadcaster and others give so much attention and love to Ukrainian music nowadays. He said that there was a Renaissance of Ukrainian music after 2014 and right now, there’s a second Renaissance. What I appreciated is that he also noted that many groups similar to theirs did not get this opportunity or support (and kind of a faltered). So he kind of considered himself lucky in that respect, I gathered, and was well aware that it wasn’t always easy for… Read more »
It’s giving high school performance, dressed in seventies costumes. I quite like it, could have done without the English language chorus though… at least I assume it’s in English.
I hope Italy, Netherlands, France or other countries would send better songs for this year because I am disappointed with the songs selected so far.
Ukraine’s entry would reach to the final but that song deserves bottom 5 place; without any diaspora voting.
Still only Belgium for me. Well , Laika party . Thats it. Very weak Eurovision so far ….
Ireland’s entry is worse than Ukraine’s entry; especially that singer sounds like a child
No, it’s better
I like Laika party. It sounds very kind and naive, but those are the vibes I’m missing in life.
Ukraine‘s team has always been following closely international reception of their songs. I bet, again, something will happen to Ziferblat and Bird of Prey – in one way or another. Fingers crossed they will not be discredited and dirched like (so many) before…
They can not disqualify them because they won Vidbir and this would be unfair, even if I don’t like the song.
I agree. If what Max is saying is true, a revamp is more likely
Maruv and Alina Pash also won, but never went to Eurovision…
And remember the tremendrous changes that Show Me Your Love, Tick-Tock and Alyosha‘s songs went through?
Ukraine is kind of excepetional in that regard…
Unfair why? Just because they won their national final? Still very weak
Congratulations Ukraine for choosing your one of your worst entries since 2003 🙁 I couldn’t even listen it for one minute; it is really bad.
Still get top ten because it’s Ukraine. Even though the standard isn’t that
As long as other songs are strong; this bad song can not reach to top10. Juries would not like this song; it is obvious
Guaranteed 200 with the refugee vote. It has proven that since the war. So top 10 it probably will be
but this song is really bad, my friend 🙂 I am sure voters have some musical taste.
It’s too bad that there’s no way to avoid this. Ukraine will get high score every time
Many countries organize voting through applications in which only citizens can vote. And refugees have more important things to do than follow Eurovision. Rather, sympathetic voting continues, reinforced by the consistently excellent work of the Ukrainian stage team.
Wasn’t the best choice yeah, but not the worst still …
They look like a high school music group but even in high school music groups, you can find vocally strong singers 🙁
This would be Ukraine’s worst placement in the contest
I thought they look like the gang from Scooby Doo
Haha 🙂 You are right, I agree 🙂 🙂
Agree that this was the weakest Vidbir edition in a while, but there were better entries. This one is just… odd
First things first: they need a different staging. Now that this is over with, I actually liked this song at first listen. I also gave a listen to the studio version. It’s completely out of the box and a welcome change to the recent Ukrainian formula (even if I really liked Teresa&Maria). I am not surprised to see negative comments, as I do believe that this is not an easy song to get and even I am not really sure if I will keep liking it as time goes by. But I am certainly more than intrigued at the time… Read more »
Ukraine would not be in top10 with this bland song and this song doesnt deserve to be in top 10 as well; otherwise it would be unfair to other songs
Congratulations for them but the song is really sung with vocally bad voice; the song itself also is quite bad 🙁