Out of the 36 songs submitted to the Montesong 2024 festival, only 16 songs will reach the grand final – the names of the participants will be revealed on October 10.
Montenegro’s national broadcaster, RTCG, has announced a new record for their Eurovision national selection, Montesong 2024. An unprecedented 36 songs were submitted for the competition, marking a significant increase from previous years. However, four songs were disqualified for various reasons: one due to premature artist and composer disclosure, two for exceeding the three-minute time limit, and another for not using an official Montenegrin language.
Montesong 2024: A Competitive Field of 32 Entries
Despite the disqualifications, 32 songs remain in contention, from which only 16 will advance to the national final of Montesong 2024. The names of the finalists and their songs will be announced on October 10, with the songs themselves being revealed to the public on November 1. The Montenegrin music industry is buzzing with anticipation, as well-known artists begin to disclose their participation or decision to abstain from the competition.
Selection Process and Festival Format
Montenegro confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2025 in August 2024 and opened the submission window in September. Although the window officially closed on October 1, additional time was granted for postal submissions, increasing the number of entries from 32 to 36. Festival manager Danijel Alibabić clarified, “All artists were chosen based on their talent, without direct invitations to participate.” Artistic director Vladana Vučinić, who represented Montenegro at Eurovision 2022, noted that the songs reflect the diversity of local music.
The festival will now take place on a single evening, November 27, 2024, rather than the originally planned two nights. The winner will be determined by a combination of 50% jury voting and 50% public voting. Songs must include at least 51% Montenegrin language content. The competition will be held in Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, promising a spectacular and exciting show with the winner announced live towards the end of the evening after vote tallying.
Montesong 2024 is a collaborative effort between RTCG and the Association of Artists and Performers of Montenegro, aimed at providing exposure to local talent while reducing the financial burden on the broadcaster. A significant portion of the production costs will be funded by the association.
Montenegro’s return to Eurovision after a two-year hiatus has generated considerable interest among contest fans. In their last participation in 2022, Vladana Vučinić’s entry failed to qualify for the Eurovision final, finishing 17th in the second semi-final. This time, Montenegro hopes for a better result that will secure them a place in the grand final of Eurovision 2025.
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”.
