The Serbian modern metal outfit Lavina has officially been chosen to represent the nation at the upcoming 70th Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in Vienna, Austria, this May.
The six-piece band dominated the national selection final, “Pesma Za Evroviziju 26” (PZE 26), which was broadcast locally in Belgrade on the RTS network this past Saturday, February 28. Competing against 13 other acts who advanced from the semi-finals, Lavina secured the absolute victory with their song “Kraj Mene“.
The group took first place in both the jury and public voting categories, which were weighted equally. In a massive show of support, they pulled in 29,759 public votes—more than double the amount received by the runner-up track, “Fräulein” by Brat Pelin. As a result, Lavina is scheduled to perform “Kraj Mene” during the second half of the first Eurovision semi-final on Tuesday, May 12.
Formed in Niš in mid-2020, Lavina is known for blending a wide variety of rock and metal influences into a dramatic, high-energy live performance. Following the release of their November 2022 debut album, Odyssey, the band toured extensively across Europe, hitting stages in Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, and beyond.
They have continued to evolve their sound through recent singles like 2024’s “In Your Absence” and “Iron Will“, as well as their March 2025 release, “This, Too, Will Pass.“. The band is currently preparing to release their highly anticipated sophomore album later this year.
It has been two decades since a metal act took the Eurovision crown. In 2006, the Finnish monster rock group Lordi shocked the continent and won with their smash hit “Hard Rock Hallelujah“.
That victory catapulted their third album, The Arockalypse, to massive European success. On the heels of their win, Lordi secured lucrative promotional deals, performed at the MTV European Music Awards, had a square named after them in Rovaniemi, and even starred in their own film, “Dark Floors.” To this day, they remain the only metal band to ever win the contest.
Operating as an independent nation, Serbia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 17 times. Prior to their 2007 debut, the nation competed as part of Yugoslavia and later as Serbia and Montenegro.
Serbia’s sole victory came in 2007 with Marija Šerifovic‘s performance of “Molitva“. Last year, the nation was represented by Princ and his song “Mila“, which ultimately did not qualify for the grand final.
