Who is LELÉKA? Meet Ukraine's Eurovision 2026 entry

The countdown to the Eurovision Song Content 2026 is well under way with the acts set to battle it out on stage in Vienna, Austria and hoping to take Ukraine all the way to the final is LELÉKA.

Ukraine has entered the contest 20 times and won three. Even when not winning it, Ukraine consistently scores well, with its average place being seventh. It even holds the title of the first country to win Eurovision three times in the 21st century.

The eastern European country most recently won Eurovision in 2022, but due to the ongoing war, the following year's event was held in the United Kingdom as Sam Ryder had come in second place.

But can Ukraine's entry this year bring it home another trophy? Read on to find out about LELÉKA.

Who is Ukraine Eurovision 2026 entry LELÉKA?

Instagram: @leleka_music

TikTok: @leleka_music

Viktoria Leleka founded the folk jazz music group LELÉKA in 2016, made up of herself on vocals, pianist Robert Wienröder, double bassist Thomas Kolarczyk, and drummer Jakob Hegner.

She graduated from the Karpenko-Karyi Theatre University in Kyiv and initially went on to work as an actress at the Molodyi Theatre in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

She then went on to get a Master's degree in jazz composition in Dresden, Germany before studying film composition at the Babelsberg Film University.

Over the past ten years, she has released five albums and created the soundtrack for the popular Ukrainian Amazon Prime series And There Will Be People.

Leléka won Vidbir, the Ukrainian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and was chosen to represent her country at the international song contest this year.

How old is LELÉKA?

The Ukrainian Eurovision entry Viktoria Leléka is 35 years old.

What nationality is LELÉKA?

Viktoria Leléka is Ukrainian and was born in Shakhtarske, Ukraine.

What has LELÉKA said about representing Ukraine at Eurovision 2026?

LELÉKA has expressed what an honour it is to represent her homeland and share Ukrainian culture with the Eurovision audience, saying: "It's sharing the beauty of my culture through my voice, through my music and just celebrating this unity of different cultures."

What is Ukraine's Eurovision 2026 song called?

LELÉKA will be representing Ukraine in Eurovision this year with the song Ridnym which switches between English and Ukrainian lyrics.

The song was written by Adama Cefalu, Jakob Hegner, Viktoria Leleka and Yaroslav Dzhus and is about finding inner strength, serving as an ode to Ukraine.

"I would say that like the main message is if everything seems like to be over, it isn't. And you always have the strength to find this power in yourself to create and to live the life you truly want. And it's about this inner transformation you can do if you go through your fears," LELÉKA said on the meaning of the song.

Where did Ukraine come in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?

Representing Ukraine, Ziferblat with their song Bird of Pray came in ninth place with a total of 218 points.

The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.

At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.

The EBU said in a statement: “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”

Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”

The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” it said in a statement.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.