Ukraine to select Eurovision entry from national final in bomb shelter

The Eurovision Song Contest was originally born to reunite a continent after World War II.

Now Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC has announced that their 2023 entrant will be chosen live from a bomb shelter in Kyiv.

Vidbir, the country’s grand final of their national selection competition, will be held on Saturday 17 December

The broadcaster has received nearly 400 songs from 299 participants, all hoping to replicate Ukraine’s success in Turin where Kalush Orchestra won with their song Stefania, the first winning song to feature a rap.

Pianoboy, the Ukrainian music producer overseeing the selection of the Ukrainian entry, said, “I would like this Vidbir to discover new outstanding creative names and make people feel touched and good about this music. I must say, which is quite unexpected for me, this job is based on psychology because you have to raise musicians from sort of a bottom, motivate them.

“A lot of musicians that you will hear at Vidbir, made a song to be heard at Vidbir probably because of this Vidbir and, again because of it, resumed doing music. I see my function in this and I am very happy about it.”