The Eurovision Song Contest kicked off tonight with the first of the semi-finals, with Montenegro taking centre stage in the jam-packed running order.
Representing Montenegro this year is Tamara Živković, a singer who has been performing since she was a teenager, and is hoping to climb higher up the leaderboard than the nation did in 2025.
Last year had been the first time Montenegro participated in Eurovision in three years and failed to make a lasting impact.
The nation has never won the song contest before, with their best result being 13th place in 2015 – but could 2026 be the year their luck changes?
As we wait to find out, scroll on to find out more about Montenegro’s Eurovision 2026 entry.
Who is Montenegro’s Eurovision 2026 entry Tamara Živković?
Instagram: @tamarazivkoviic
TikTok: @tamarazivkoviceva
Tamara Živković is a singer whose musical career first began when she was 14 years old, combining the flute with vocal melodies in her first solo performance.
In 2016, she took part in Serbian junior singing contest Pinkove Zvezdice and some years later she competed in Zvezde Granda, where she made it to the final.
This isn’t the first time Tamara has been involved in Eurovision, having competed in Montenegro’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, though she finished in ninth place.
Returning the following year with Nova zora, Tamra won the jury vote, allowing her to represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2026.
How old is Tamara Živković?
Tamara Živković is 26 years old.
What nationality is Tamara Živković?
Tamara Živković is a Montenegrin singer, having been born in Kotor, the coastal region of Montenegro.
What is Montenegro’s Eurovision 2026 song called?
Tamara is representing Montenegro with the song Nova Zora, which was written by Boris Subotić.
You can watch the music video for the song below.
What has Tamara Živković said about representing Montenegro at Eurovision 2026?
“It is a great honour to represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna,” Tamara said after winning Montesong last year.
She continued: “The dream that I have been carrying since I was little has become a reality. I will do my best to make our country proud! First and foremost, I would like to thank my team endlessly for everything; maximum effort, dedication and talent. None of this would be possible without you and also without the support of my family.
“Also this story would not be complete without my wives who were with me on stage and brought the New Dawn with me. Thank you for everything, I am happy and proud to have a team like this!”
Where did Montenegro place in 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?
Montenegro did not qualify for the grand final last year, and finished in last place in the second semi-final.
Last year marked Montenegro’s return to the Eurovision stage after dropping out of the contest in 2022.
The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.
At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.
The EBU said in a statement: “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”
Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”
The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” it said in a statement.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.
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