Road to Liverpool: Serbia

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Serbia.

Luke Black

Luke Black won the Serbian national final with the song “Samo mi se spava”. The song is written and composed by Luke Black himself. It is sung in both Serbian and English.

Luke Black’s real name is Luka Ivanović. He was born in ÄŚaÄŤak, Serbia, in 1992. His career started in 2014, when he performed at the Groveland Festival. His first hit single “D-generation” was released in 2015. In 2016, Luke Black was one of the contenders to represent Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest. The song “Demons” was not selected but became a success for Luke. In total, Luke Black released 3 EP’s. The most recent one was “F23.8” this year. It included his 2021 hit “Amsterdam“.

Pesma Za Evroviziju

This year’s national final was called Pesma Za Evroviziju 2023. After two semifinals, a final with 16 songs was held on 4 March. Remarkable participant was the group Hurricane. They won the national selection in 2020. Due to the cancellation of the contest, the group was invited for the 2021 edition. In the end both jury and televoters had different opinions. NaÄ‘a won the jury vote, while Princ was the favourite of the televoters. Both jury’s had Luke Black in 2nd place.

Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest

When Yugoslavia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest, Serbia provided the entry on 6 occasions but never ended up higher than the 12th place. How different it was when Serbia and Montenegro started to participate. Ĺ˝eljko Joksimović reached a 2nd place. In 2006, the country withdrew. Serbian TV and the audience in the national final did not agree with the Montenegrin winner. Shortly after the contest, Montenegro voted for independence in a referendum. That was when Serbia started to participate…. and won rightaway! Marija Ĺ erifović reached the first place with “Molitva”.  Ĺ˝eljko Joksimović participated again in 2012 and became 3rd. Last year, Serbia was also succesful with a 5th place for Konstrakta’s “In corpore sano”.

The bookmakers

Serbia is currently 15th according to the bookmakers. That would not be as high as Konstrakta last year. But at least Serbia would reach the final in this case. However, Konstrakta was a big surprise. So who knows…

The song

This is the song:

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It’s time for another weekly Eurovision update. Belgium has officially joined the list of 2026 participants, and Israel intends to take part. The EBU shared a statement after recent discussions. Luxembourg, Austria, and Denmark opened their national selection processes. Meanwhile, two Austrian cities exited the host city race, while two others moved forward with formal bids. Belgium Confirms, Israel Plans to Participate Belgium confirmed its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Broadcaster RTBF announced the decision and will later decide how it will choose its entry. The Flemish broadcaster VRT will not be in charge this time, following the usual alternation. source: escspot 📷 EBU/Sarah Bennett Israel also intends to take part. Public broadcaster KAN said preparations are underway for next year’s contest in Austria. Although discussions about Israel’s role in Eurovision have drawn attention recently, KAN made its stance clear. Israel joins over a dozen broadcasters that have already declared their intention to participate.  EBU Responds with Statement after Assembly The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) addressed recent concerns about Eurovision’s direction. During the General Assembly in London, members shared their views on the contest’s growing challenges in a complex global climate. The EBU released a statement afterward, recognizing that participation questions have become more sensitive and complicated. Broadcasters voiced many opinions and expressed support for KAN’s independence, especially under political pressure. To move forward, the EBU brought in a former senior television executive to lead a structured dialogue with its members. This process will include further discussions and a report with recommendations, expected in the autumn. Countries Start Their Search for 2026 Entries In this weekly update we also look at national selections. Several countries have now launched their search for Eurovision 2026 songs. Luxembourg opened its submission platform on 4 July. Songwriters and performers can submit entries online. The national final will take place on 24 January 2026 at the Rockhal Arena. source: RTL Austria also began preparing for next year. Broadcaster ORF opened submissions for artists and songwriters. The submission deadline is 15 September. Last month, ORF hosted a songwriting camp in Vienna. Artists and producers worked together, creating 18 new songs. Some of these songs could be selected internally to represent Austria. source: Merci,Cherie In Denmark, broadcaster DR opened submissions for Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026. Composers can send in their songs until 2 November. A professional jury will select eight finalists. The national final is set for 14 February 2026 in Frederikshavn. The winner will represent Denmark at Eurovision 2026. source: DR 📷 EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett Vienna and Innsbruck Submit Host Bids The list of potential host cities is getting shorter. Wels and Linz, who planned a joint bid, decided not to move forward. Technical issues and high costs led them to withdraw. Their venue, the TipsArena, didn’t meet key Eurovision requirements. source: OTS At the same time, Vienna and Innsbruck submitted official bids to host the contest. Vienna proposed the Wiener Stadthalle, the same venue it used in 2015. Innsbruck chose the Olympiaworld complex. Both cities confirmed their bids with detailed proposals. ORF, the Austrian broadcaster, will now review the applications. A decision on the 2026 host city is expected by 8 August. That’s all for this weekly update. Stay tuned for another weekly roundup next week as the road to Eurovision 2026 continues! Share

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