Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026
| Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) | |||
| Country | Montenegro | |||
| Selection process | Montesong 2025 | |||
| Selection date | 21 December 2025 | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
Montenegro is set to be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 which will be held in Vienna, Austria. The Montenegrin participating broadcaster, Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), will organise the national final Montesong 2025 to select its entry for the contest.
Background
Prior to the 2026 contest, Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Montenegro as an independent country thirteen times since its first entry in 2007.[1] Its best placing in the contest was thirteenth position, which it achieved in 2015 with the song "Adio" performed by Knez. In 2014, Montenegro qualified to the final for the first time since it began participating, and have since featured in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest one more time in 2015. RTCG opted not to participate in 2010, 2011, 2021, 2023, and 2024, citing "modest results" and/or financial difficulties as the reason for its absences.[2][3] In 2025, Montenegro failed to qualify for the final with the song "Dobrodošli" performed by Nina Žižić, finishing 16th (last) in its semi-final.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, RTCG organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. On 26 August 2025, RTCG confirmed its participation, with Montesong returning as the national selection.[4] RTCG had used various methods to select the Montenegrin entry in the past, such as internal selections and televised national finals to choose the performer, song or both to compete at Eurovision.
Before Eurovision
Montesong 2025
Montesong 2025 will be the national final format organised by RTCG to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The competition will consist of a final on 21 December 2025, which will take place at the RTCG Grand Studio in Podgorica and will be hosted by Andrea Šekularac, Dajana Golubović Pejović and Jelena Božović.[5][6][7]
Competing entries
On 3 September 2025, RTCG opened a submission platform for interested artists and composers to submit their entries until 3 October 2025. Performers were required to be citizens of Montenegro, while songwriters may be of any nationality. Unlike the 2024 edition, there were no requirements on the language of the entries. RTCG received 37 submissions at the closing of the deadline.[8] A selection jury consisting of Andrijana Božović, Dražen Bauković, Stefan Bjeletić, Jovo Vukčević and Antonela Martinović reviewed the submissions and selected the top fifteen songs for the competition; each juror evaluated each song using a points system, giving a maximum of 50 points for composition, 30 points for lyrics and 20 points for production, with entries having to achieve at least 75 points in order to advance to the final.[9][10] The selected entries were announced on 14 October 2025 during the RTCG morning show Dobro jutro, Crno Goro, broadcast on TVCG 1,[11] and released on 27 November 2025.[12] Among the competing artists is Andrea Demirović, who represented Montenegro in 2009.[13]
| Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Andrea Demirović | "I Believe" |
|
| Baryak | "Minerva" (Минерва) |
|
| Dolce Hera | "Casanova 91" |
|
| Đurđa | "Dominos" |
|
| Krstinja Matanović | "Oli, oli" (Оли, оли) |
|
| Lana Lopičić | "Doline" (Долине) |
|
| Lana and Đorđe | "Temperatura" (Температура) |
|
| Lara Baltić | "Rhythm Boy" | Nemanja Antonić |
| Luka Radović | "Pjevaj, vilo" (Пјевај, вило) |
|
| Majda Božović | "Ipak smo ljudi" (Ипак смо људи) |
|
| Mila Nikić | "Kao varnica" (Као варница) |
|
| Neno Murić | "Ako čuješ glas" (Ако чујеш глас) |
|
| Stefan | "Nedekodirana" (Недекодирана) | Dejan Dedović |
| Tamara Živković | "Nova zora" (Нова зора) | Boris Subotić |
| Tina Džankić | "Shadows" |
|
Final
The final will take place on 21 December 2025. The winner will be selected by a 50/50 combination of votes from a five-member international jury and a public vote – consisting of a televote and an online voting on the RTCG website, with the latter also accepting votes worldwide – following a similar pattern to the one used in the Eurovision Song Contest final: the two votings will each determine a ranking whereby the entries will be assigned 1–8, 10 and 12 points.[14]
| Draw | Artist | Song | Jury | Public vote | Total | Place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | Points | Votes | Points | |||||
| 1 | Lara Baltić | "Rhythm Boy" | TBD 21 December 2025 | |||||
| 2 | Stefan | "Nedekodirana" | ||||||
| 3 | Mila Nikić | "Kao varnica" | ||||||
| 4 | Majda Božović | "Ipak smo ljudi" | ||||||
| 5 | Krstinja Matanović | "Oli, oli" | ||||||
| 6 | Baryak | "Minerva" | ||||||
| 7 | Neno Murić | "Ako čuješ glas" | ||||||
| 8 | Lana Lopičić | "Doline" | ||||||
| 9 | Đurđa | "Dominos" | ||||||
| 10 | Dolce Hera | "Casanova 91" | ||||||
| 11 | Tamara Živković | "Nova zora" | ||||||
| 12 | Andrea Demirović | "I Believe" | ||||||
| 13 | Tina Džankić | "Shadows" | ||||||
| 14 | Luka Radović | "Pjevaj, vilo" | ||||||
| 15 | Lana and Đorđe | "Temperatura" | ||||||
References
- ^ "Montenegro Country Profile". EBU. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Hondal, Victor (17 November 2009). "Montenegro withdraws from Eurovision 2010". ESCToday. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Hondal, Victor (23 December 2010). "Montenegro officially out of Eurovision 2011". ESCToday. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Granger, Anthony (26 August 2025). "Montenegro: Eurovision 2026 Participation Confirmed as 'Montesong 2025' Rules Released". Eurovoix. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^ "Montenegro: New Details About Montesong 2026 Revealed". Eurovoix. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^ "MONTESONG 2025: Finale 21. decembra u Velikom studiju RTCG". RTCG (in Montenegrin (Latin script)). Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ^ Farren, Neil (2025-12-17). "Montenegro: Dajana Golubović Pejović, Jelena Božović and Andrea Šekularac to Host Montesong 2025". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Hajnić, Nikolina (2025-10-14). "Objavljeni natjecatelji Montesonga 2025.!". eurosong.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ^ "Montesong 2025: Konkurs otvoren do 3. oktobra". Radio Television of Montenegro. 3 September 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
- ^ "Montesong 2025: Selekciona komisija saopštila imena 15 finalista". RTCG (in Montenegrin (Latin script)). Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ^ "Montenegro: Montesong 2025 Participants Revealed". Eurovoix. 2025-10-14. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ^ Vesković, Đorđe (27 November 2025). "Montesong 2025 | Pesme su u etru!" [Montesong 2025 | The songs are on air!]. Evrovizija.rs (in Serbian (Latin script)). Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ Reçi, Nag (2025-10-14). "Montesong 2025: Montenegro reveals 15 national final participants". wiwibloggs. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ^ "Pravilnik o glasanju za festival 'Montesong 2025'" [Voting rules for the "Montesong 2025" festival] (PDF). RTCG. 2025-12-03. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ^ Conte, Davide (2025-12-15). "Montenegro: Montesong 2025 Running Order Released". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2025-12-15.