After taking a short breather, Montenegro will be making a return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025.
National broadcaster RTCG has announced its intention to make an appearance in Switzerland next year, and has also revealed plans for a brand new national final to select the entry.
Montenegro returns to Eurovision in 2025
Montenegro last competed at Eurovision in 2022, when Vladana represented the nation with the song “Breathe.”
Vladana is now Creative Director at RTCG and will be utilising her experience to help guide the country on their return. Speaking about the announcement, she said:
“We are thrilled that Montenegro is returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025. After several years of absence, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our country’s rich cultural diversity on the European stage. Our representative will be selected through a national competition called ‘Montesong’, which will be organised in collaboration with the Association of Performing Artists and Entertainers of Montenegro. This partnership is designed to encourage as many Montenegrin performers as possible to participate. Our goal is to promote new musical talents and reconnect with the wider European audience. We believe this will mark the beginning of a new and successful era for Montenegro at the Eurovision Song Contest.”
Those wishing to compete in Montesong have just over six weeks to submit their entry.
Vladana has also provided more information on the rules and requirements for those for composers and singers hoping to participate:
“While composers can be from any country, the performers must be Montenegrin citizens. The lyrics of the songs must be written at least 51% in the official languages used in Montenegro. Composers are required to submit a final or high-quality demo recording of their song, up to three minutes in length, featuring the performer who will perform the song at the competition. The submission must include a five-digit code under which the composition will undergo the selection process. The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2024.”
More details about the submission process can be found on RTCG’s website.
Montenegro at Eurovision
Montenegro has had an on-off relationship with Eurovision. Making their debut as an independent country in 2007, the nation competed for three years before taking a hiatus.
Returning in 2012, they remained a regular at the contest through until 2019. This period also saw the country achieve its best results, with Sergej Ćetković and Knez qualifying for the grand final in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
After another short break, Montenegro made a one-off appearance in 2022. Sadly, the nation earned their tenth non-qualification.
Switzerland 2025 will mark Montenegro’s 13th appearance at Eurovision.
Are you excited to see Montenegro return to Eurovision in 2025? Who do you wish to see represent the nation in Switzerland? Let us know in the comments below.
