The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 has finally arrived, with tonight’s 15 acts all vying for a place in Saturday’s grand final.
Kicking off tonight (12 May) in Vienna, the contest will be filled with an eclectic mix of music and amazing performances for every kind of music fan to enjoy.
One act ready to impress is metal band Lavina, who are representing Serbia at this year’s contest. But do they have what it takes to stun audiences?
As we wait to find out, read on for everything you need to know about Lavina as they take centre stage at Eurovision 2026.
Who are Serbia’s Eurovision 2026 entry Lavina?
Instagram: @lavinametal
TikTok: @lavinaband
Lavina are a metal band who will be representing Serbia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
Formed in 2020, the band released their debut studio album Odyssey two years later. Since then, they have released four more songs, including the one they will perform at Eurovision.
The band is made up of Luka Aranđelović, Pavle Aranđelović, Andrija Cvetanović, Pavle Samardzić, Nikola Petrović and Bojan Ilić.
What has Lavina said about representing Serbia at Eurovision 2026?
Upon being selected to represent Serbia at this year’s content, the band shared on social media (translated): “Something incredible happened last night. Something we’ve always wished for, something we’ve always hoped for, but also something we honestly didn’t think was possible.”
What is Serbia’s Eurovision 2026 song called?
Lavina will represent Serbia with the song Kraj mene, with the band saying they chose to focus on staying true to themselves, expressing their metal roots and emotions rather than crafting something “competition friendly”.
You can watch the music video below.
Want to see this content?
This page contains content provided by YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as YouTube may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose ‘Accept and continue’ to allow YouTube and its required purposes.
Where did Serbia come in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?
Serbia did not qualify for the Eurovision 2025 grand final, marking their first non-qualification since 2017.
The nation was represented by Princ, who placed 14th out of 16 during the second semi-final.
Want to see this content?
This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose ‘Accept and continue’ to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes.
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.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
