The song as well as the band’s performance on stage contained references to the ongoing war in the country for several months. Dancers wore gas masks while nuclear alarm signals were visible in the background.
Singer Jeffery Kenny and keyboardist Andrew Hutsuliak thanked Ukrainians for their support. “We didn’t expect to win, but we want to thank everyone who has supported us, who listens to our music and who fights on the front lines.”
The Kalush Orchestra won the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in May with the song “Stefania”. It was therefore up to Ukraine to host the next edition of the competition but due to the Russian invasion, the event will finally be organized in Liverpool in the United Kingdom.
Ukraine has been participating in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2003 and has already won three times. This makes it one of the top performing countries in the contest.
Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC received nearly 400 applications this year, of which 10 were selected for Saturday’s live show.