Montenegro’s Eurovision 2026 representative, Tamara Živković, held her first rehearsal in Vienna with the song “Nova Zora.” Stay tuned for all updates from Austria.
The Eurovision 2026 stage in Vienna, Austria, was painted in burning black and red this evening as Montenegro and the Montenegrin singer Tamara Zivkovic revealed a performance bordering on a dark and jarring ritual that caught everyone off guard. Tamara did not arrive in Austria just to sing; she came to take over the audience’s consciousness through a visual spectacle unseen before on the contest stage. This is a bold artistic statement that questions everything previously assumed about the balance of power in the first semi-final.
Montenegro’s First Rehearsal: more details
Tamara took to her first rehearsal dressed in a corset studded with black gemstones and a dramatic ruff collar, creating a look reminiscent of a mythological figure from another world. The blackened makeup and dark lipstick gave her a menacing and authoritative appearance, while she lay on the stage floor, being dragged by mysterious shadow figures during the opening of the song “Nova Zora” (in English: “New Dawn”). In a moment of transcendence, she twisted into an upright position and began performing the song with a vocal power that made the walls of the hall shake.
Lava and Lightning in the Heart of Vienna
The performance in Vienna is unusually divided into three acts marked by Roman numerals on the giant screens – similar to the national selection performance – creating the sensation of a psychological thriller unfolding in real-time. Alongside Tamara are four dancers in tight black clothing and contrasting white collars, performing complex choreography that shifts between perfect synchronization and total madness. The challenging placement as song number 8 in the first semi-final.
The visuals of the song take viewers on a journey inside the crater of a volcano, featuring deep shades of red, icy blue, and effects of boiling lava washing over the screens. Lightning and thunder cross the stage while the quintet creates shifting human structures that leave the viewer speechless and unable to look away. This dynamic makes Montenegro an especially dangerous competitor, one that uses powerful visual effects to secure its place in the Grand Final.
Will the theatrical and dark show from Montenegro be the one to shuffle the deck in the semi-final, leaving the other competitors far behind?
Montenegro at Eurovision 2026
“Nova Zora” (in English: “A New Dawn”) is the song that will be performed by the singer Tamara Živković, who will represent Montenegro as song number 8 in the first semi-final on May 12th, in Vienna, Austria. The song was written by Boris Subotić, the notable composer behind last year’s Montenegrin entry “Dobrodošli”, and co-produced with Marko Drežnjak. The song is performed entirely in Montenegrin.
Currently, Montenegro is ranked 34th in the betting tables ahead of Eurovision 2026.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Montenegro’s 14th 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”.
