Montesong 2025 submissions are open! Montenegro is looking for its new representative!

Montenegro is getting ready for Eurovision again! Following its return in 2025, the Montenegrin national broadcaster – RTCG, has announced the opening of a call for entries for Montesong 2025, the national festival that will select the representative of our southern neighbors for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna.

This will be the second consecutive year that the representative is chosen through Montesong, and the goal is clear—not only to select the best song for Europe but also to promote the Montenegrin music scene both domestically and internationally. RTCG emphasizes that Montesong is more than just a competition; it is a festival of creativity that gives a new momentum to the local and regional scene.

Vladana Vučinić announces changes and greater ambitions

The role of executive producer for Montesong has been entrusted to Vladana Vučinić, who represented Montenegro at Eurovision 2022 in Turin. During her appearance on the show „Dobro jutro Crna Goro“ (Good Morning Montenegro), she revealed that an improved version of the festival is expected.

This year, the competition will be held in the large RTCG studio, and production will be enhanced with the engagement of more staff. One of the most important changes concerns the freedom of language choice. Unlike the previous edition, where 51% of the lyrics had to be in Montenegrin, this year, authors and performers have complete freedom to write the song in any language they wish. As Vladana points out, this move will encourage even greater creativity and originality.

Competition rules and song evaluation

The call for entries for Montesong is open until October 3rd, giving authors one month to apply. All interested parties can send their compositions by mail or deliver them in person to the RTCG archive. While composers from any country are welcome, it is important to note that performers must have Montenegrin citizenship.

To qualify, a song must be original and unreleased before September 1, 2025, and its duration must not exceed three minutes. An expert jury, composed of music creators and performers, will have the task of selecting up to 16 songs for the festival. The jury will evaluate:

• Composition (up to 50 points)
• Lyrics (up to 30 points)
• Production potential (up to 20 points)

To be among the finalists, a song must receive at least 75 points. The winner will ultimately be decided by a combination of jury votes and public SMS voting.

The future of Montenegrin music and Eurovision

Vladana Vučinić also addressed the criticism surrounding Montenegro’s participation in Eurovision, particularly regarding financial investment. She points out that the budget RTCG allocates for Eurovision and Montesong is a small part of the overall budget and that they are striving to achieve maximum results with minimal costs.

As an example of the importance of such festivals, she mentioned the participation of Asja Džogović in Junior Eurovision, emphasizing that these festivals provide an opportunity for young talents to develop and grow into strong performers.

Although Nina Žižić with the song „Dobrodošli“ finished last in the second semi-final in 2025, Vladana remains optimistic. She says that an extraordinary song and placement cannot be expected every year, but that the continuity of participation and support for young talents are key to gradual development and success.

Montenegro is ready to show that Eurovision is not just a competition but a platform for promoting culture and music, and Montesong is the first step on that path. We eagerly await to see which songs will be in the competition and who will fight to carry the Montenegrin flag high in Vienna.

Guest appearance by Vladana Vučinić in the show Dobro jutro Crna Goro