AwlaVision Song Contest 26

AwlaVision Song Contest 26, often referred to as ASC#26, was the twenty-sixth edition of AwlaVision Song Contest, held in Kiev, Ukraine. The edition started the 03rd January 2018, and ended the 27th January 2018.

40 countries took part in this edition. No one debuted in this edition. Bulgaria, Hungary and Kazakhstan withdrew from ASC. Kosovo returned to the competition. Sonya from Russia won the contest with the song "Uhodi" receiving a total of 335 points, 20 point ahead the runner-up, Finland. Italy finished in third place with 228 points. The host country, Ukraine achieved a 4th place with 188 points. The last place was for Croatia, that got 6 points.

Organisation
After Ukraine's victory in AwlaVision Song Contest 25, NTU and ABU had to decide where to organise the contest this time. The projects were from Kiev (International Exhibition Centre and Sports Palace), Mariupol (Sportkompleks Illichivets), and Donetsk (Druzhba Arena). Finally, NTU and ABU chose Kiev as the host city of ASC26.

NTU decided to use popular and professionals people as presenters. Finally Zlata Ognevich and Oleksandr Skichko were selected.

International Exhibition Centre
The International Exhibition Centre (Ukrainian: Міжнародний виставковий центр) in Kiev is the largest exhibition centre in Ukraine. Located in the western portion of Livoberezhna microdistrict, the centre was opened in October 2002, and the head of the centre since its construction was Anatoly Tkachenko. On 9 September 2016, the International Exhibition Centre was announced as the host venue of the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest in 2017.

The idea of building the complex was from Viktor Tkachenko, then director of the Palace of Sports. Current director of the centre, Ukrainian architect Yanush Wig designed the complex, and Eduard Safronov was the head of its construction. The centre combines in a single architectural ensemble three pavilions with a total area of 58,000 sqm, of which 28,018 m² are for exhibitions. The complex has a congress hall and fourteen conference rooms with a capacity of 90-600 seats, meeting rooms, rooms for storing valuables and weapons, cafes and fast food restaurants, bathrooms, toilets and air conditioning.

The Exhibition Centre's capacity was of 12,000 people, but there was an increase of a thousand seats in January 2017 for the Eurovision Song Contest that took place in Kiev in that year. The area also includes a VIP zone for a dozen of people and some offices, restaurants and media-centre inside the IEC.

Kiev
Kiev is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper. The population in July 2015 was 2,887,974 making Kiev the 7th most populous city in Europe. Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro.

The city's name is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders (see Name, below). During its history, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of great prominence and relative obscurity. The city probably existed as a commercial centre as early as the 5th century. A Slavic settlement on the great trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople, Kiev was a tributary of the Khazars, until seized by the Varangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbours; first the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by Poland and Russia.

Kiev has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb). The warmest months are June, July, and August, with mean temperatures of 13.8 to 24.8 °C (56.8 to 76.6 °F). The coldest are December, January, and February, with mean temperatures of -4.6 to -1.1 °C (23.7 to 30.0 °F). The highest ever temperature recorded in the city was 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) on 30 July 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was -32.9 °C (-27.2 °F) on 11 January 1951. Snow cover usually lies from mid-November to the end of March, with the frost-free period lasting 180 days on average, but surpassing 200 days in recent years.

This is the second time in the contest that AwlaVision Song Contest is held in Ukraine and the second time, too, that it's held in Kiev.

Participants
40 countries took part in the edition.

Withdrawing countries
Bellow a list of all withdrawing countries:

Returning countries
Bellow a list of all withdrawing countries:

First Semifinal
Jury
 * (Host)
 * (Finalist)
 * (Finalist)

Second Semifinal
Jury
 * (Finalist)
 * (Finalist)
 * (Finalist)