Following the second round of casting for the Ukrainian show Fabryka Zirok 2026, the project team announced the names of the artists who will continue their journey in the new season. This was reported by the entertainment outlet Styler (RBC-Ukraine), citing the second casting broadcast on YouTube. The selection began with 25 prospective factory contestants, who were given just 24 hours to prepare their own songs together with the coaches and present them to the jury. Initially, 11 spots were planned, but in the final part of the meeting the producers changed their decision and made an unexpected call regarding two additional artists.
Second Casting Round: 25 Participants and 24 Hours to Prepare
The key difference between the new season and the classic show format is that participants work with their own musical material. In the second round, they prepared original songs together with the coaches rather than performing other people's hits. TAYANNA was in charge of vocal preparation, Yana Tsybulska handled choreography, and Vitaliy Azhnov worked on the participants' acting skills. The organizers emphasize that the project's goal goes beyond finding the winner of a single television show: the team wants to help young artists develop, work with their own music, and reach a wider audience.
Who Made the Cut: Jury Assessments
The first artist to make it into the new season lineup was JEZUSMAN — the jury noted that he has been impressing the team since the very first casting round. The judges also highlighted the strengths of each artist: Diana Stasyuk was praised for her voice and charisma, while BEREZA was described as a performer capable of surprising audiences and working with a broad listener base. The jury characterized DIKIY as a strong songwriter and musician with potential for the big stage, while MÝRO earned approval for his versatility — at the first casting he delivered a dance performance, and at the second he revealed his dramatic and lyrical side.
The Big Surprise: a Duet Instead of Two Solo Artists
When only a few spots remained before the selection was complete, the project team deviated from the original plan. Two artists remained on the jury's shortlist who the producers liked, but in the team's assessment each of them was missing something. That's when the idea arose to combine them: Lysan is a songwriter, while Palamar, in the jury's view, needs additional professional development. That is why they were offered to try working as a duet, and the team decided that together they could be stronger than apart. This decision, made right during the final meeting, became one of the main surprises of the second casting and changed the original plan of 11 participants.
The 13th Participant and the Charity Vote
For those who did not pass the main selection, the door to Fabryka Zirok has not slammed shut: participants eliminated at the preliminary stage will join the vote for the next factory contestant, referred to on air as the 13th participant. Viewers will be able to choose their favorite themselves: to do so, they need to visit the show's website, log in by phone, and confirm their vote with a symbolic payment of 1 hryvnia. For each vote, SWEET.TV donates 10 hryvnias to the Superhumans center for hearing restoration, with each viewer allowed to cast only one vote.
What's Next: 10 Primetime Shows and a Finale at the Sports Palace
Ahead of the new season's participants are 10 primetime shows, and the season will conclude with a big concert at the Sports Palace, where the winner will be announced. Thus, Fabryka Zirok 2026 combines the classic competitive mechanics with an emphasis on original music, mentorship, and a charitable component tied to the viewers' vote.
