Montenegro reduces Eurovision national final to a one-night event. Montenegrin representative to be chosen on November 27.
Montenegro’s Eurovision 2025 national selection, Montesong 2024, has undergone a change in format. Initially planned as a two-night event, the Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG has announced that the festival will now take place on a single night. The revised Montesong 2024 will be held on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at the Voco Sports Hall in Podgorica.
Submission Process and Eligibility
The submission window for songs opened on September 5 and will close on October 1, 2024. A committee from RTCG will select 16 competing entries from the submissions, and the winner will be chosen through a combination of 50% jury voting and 50% public voting. Performers must be Montenegrin citizens, but composers can be from anywhere in the world. Additionally, songs must include at least 51% of lyrics in Montenegrin, the country’s official language.
Any Montenegrin artist interested in registering for the local national final can do so here.
Festival Director’s Vision
Festival director Danijel Alibabić expressed optimism about Montesong 2024, aiming to establish a tradition similar to Croatia’s Dora festival:
“We can expect diversity and openness to all genres, in order to offer everything we love to listen to the most. We believe that the best concept will win, with a large share of the audience in the decision. We are working hard on all segments to justify what we have already announced – that you will see the best festival in the region,” said Alibabić.
In addition to Alibabić’s optimistic statements, he is convinced that the Montenegrin representative this year will advance to the Eurovision final and be the third to do so, after a decade in which Montenegro was absent and/or failed to qualify for the final. He also adds that the Association of Artists and Performers of Montenegro, which he heads, made an effort to integrate and employ a team of people on their behalf to help with the festival’s graphic design and lighting.
Purpose of the Montenegrin Eurovision Pre-Selection
The purpose of the Eurovision national final, produced by the local television network RTCG in collaboration with the Association of Artists and Performers of Montenegro, is to give a boost to the local music industry in Montenegro. Through the collaboration between the two organizations, the national broadcaster will be able to reduce the large financial burden associated with Montenegro’s participation in Eurovision. According to the terms of the new collaboration, the Association will bear 80% of the organizational costs involved in participating in Eurovision, leaving RTCG responsible for only 20%. This arrangement significantly reduces the financial burden on the Montenegrin television network RTCG.
Opportunities for New Artists
Montesong will provide a significant opportunity for new artists in Montenegro. The festival is designed to encourage local talents and allow them to present their work to a wider audience. Officials at RTCG declared, “The organization of this festival is in the high public interest, as it encourages local creators and performers to create new music.” This commitment to nurturing new talents is essential for the development of the music industry in Montenegro.
Festival Details and Broadcast
The festival will be held at the Voco Sports Hall in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. According to festival producer and Montenegro’s representative for Eurovision 2022, Vladana Vučinić, the Montenegrin representative will be chosen with maximum transparency and according to Eurovision contest rules. The scoring will be split into 50% determined by a professional judging panel and 50% determined by public voting.
In an interview with RTCG, Vladana was asked about the importance of local songwriters participating in the Montenegrin Eurovision national final. She noted that “this is an opportunity that Montenegrin musicians haven’t had for years – to present their creativity to a wider audience, not just in Montenegro but also in other regions. Even if they don’t win the coveted ticket to Eurovision, they will have an opportunity to reach a wider audience with their music because ‘Montesong’ will be broadcast both on Montenegrin television and on online channels”.
Montenegro in Eurovision 2022
“Breathe” is the name of the song performed by singer Vladana, who represented Montenegro in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2022. The song was written by Vladana herself along with Darko Dimitrov, who has composed 11 songs for the competition over the years for Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro. Dimitrov’s most successful entry is “Proud,” which represented North Macedonia in Eurovision 2019 and reached seventh place. “Breathe” was performed in English and Italian and was dedicated to Vladana’s mother, who had passed away a year earlier from COVID-19. Vladana only reached 17th place (second to last) in the second semi-final with just 33 points. This is one of the most disappointing results Montenegro has experienced in the competition.
Source: RTCG.me.
Eurovision 2025: This will be Montenegro’s 13th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Montenegro joined the competition in 2007 and achieved its best result in Eurovision Song Contest 2015 when singer Knez reached 13th place with the song “Adio”.
