Montenegro’s Tamara Živković discusses in an interview for EuroMix about her Eurovision 2026 rehearsals, her stance on betting odds, and fulfilling a lifelong dream on the big stage.

Tamara Živković, the Montenegrin representative for Eurovision 2026, has completed her first two rehearsals on the Eurovision stage. Set to perform as song number 8 in the first semi-final, the singer shared her thoughts on the intense preparation process and the surreal experience of finally reaching the contest.

Watch the full interview here:

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Reflecting on her initial time on stage, Tamara Živković noted the progression between her sessions: “It has been amazing; we were so excited to step on that stage finally. Me and my girls were like, ‘Okay, now it’s our time.’ The first rehearsal , it’s not easy; it was hard to think about all the things. On the second one, it was better because we already caught up with the things we needed to think about and we soaked up the energy on the stage. We saw the choreography and how it is supposed to be seen, because the choreography is really made specially for that stage.”

A Lifelong Dream Realized

For the Montenegrin artist, participating in the Eurovision Song Contest is the culmination of years of family tradition and personal ambition. She expressed how much the opportunity means to her on a personal level: “I’ve been watching with my family Eurovision since I was very little. We always gather around and watch Eurovision together. So, for me to actually be the part of Eurovision is really a huge thing that was a dream of mine, so I’m honored that I have the chance to do it.”

Focusing on Performance Over Betting Odds

Despite currently sitting at the bottom of the betting markets, Tamara Živković remains unfazed by external predictions, choosing instead to channel her energy into the artistic delivery of her entry.

When asked about her standing in the odds, she remained professional and driven: “I don’t have that much time to think about that. I really am focused on my performance and on all the other things that I need to do. That is the most important thing for me – for our performance to be great, and that I give my all to that.”

Regarding the visual presentation for the live broadcast and the different hairstyle between the first and second rehearsal, the singer teased that her team is still playing with the final details: “We were just having fun and we took the opportunity to have a little joke, you know, because this is the perfect time to have fun. That is the most important thing.”

Tamara Živković concluded with a message of gratitude to the international fans: “I want to thank you all for watching me, listening to my song, and for all the support that you give. That means a lot to me. It would mean a lot to me also if you will watch me on May 12th and vote for me. I will perform after Finland, number 8.”

Tamara Živković – Who Are You?

Tamara Živković is a Montenegrin musician who burst into the Eurovision fan scene last year when she replaced a withdrawn artist in the national pre-selection “Montesong 2024″.

Following that withdrawal, she sought to represent Montenegro in 2025 with the song “Poguban Let”. Despite being one of the fan favorites, she eventually reached ninth place. This year, competing again with “Nova Zora”. she entered as a leading contender — and ultimately won the national selection. Over the past year, she has released several singles that, unfortunately, did not achieve significant commercial success.