🇲🇪 Eurovision 2026 Rehearsal One: Tamara Živković brings drama and intensity in her first rehearsal

Today the rehearsals for Eurovision 2026 continue in Vienna. Countries rehearsing on Day 2 include Montenegro, Estonia, Israel, Belgium, Lithuania, San Marino, Poland, and Serbia. The first to rehearse today is Montenegro’s Tamara Živković.

What did we learn about Tamara Živković’s staging?

The first artist of the day to take to the Eurovision 2026 stage in the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna was Montenegro’s Tamara Živković. She will be competing in this year’s competition with her entry “Nova Zora” following her win at Montesong.

Tamara begins her performance laying down on the floor being flanked on all sides by four “shadowy figures”, who eventually become her dances. As she begins to sing the song, she starts to get up, slowly getting up but pulling some dramatic poses in the process.

The course of the performance mirrors much of the Montesong staging, with her performance being split into three distinctive acts signified by Roman numerals. However, there is some contrast between the Montesong performance and the Vienna package, with the dancers getting rid of their long drapey outfits something brighter.

In each part of the show, Tamara and her girls go all out with the choreography, ranging from more uniform dancemoves to ones that are more primal and primitive. The way these poses flow into each other is incredibly smooth as the stage lights up in dark red and small flashes of blue.

Who is Tamara Živković?

Tamara Živković is a 25-year-old singer and flautist born in Kotor. Initially, her focus was on the flute, giving her first concert at the age of 14. However, she soon involved her voice into her work, going on to star in a number of popular singing competitions, including Pinkove Zvezdice and Zvezde Granda, where she made it to the final. She gained international recognition when she competed in Montesong 2024, finishing in 9th place. She returned in 2025, however, and won the competition.

Montenegro’s Eurovision journey

Before Montenegro announced its return to the Eurovision Song Contest for 2025, they had a scattered appearance at the competition. There has been a Montenegrin presence at the Eurovision Song Contest as far back as 1983, when the nation was a part of Yugoslavia. Montenegrin entries went on to represent Yugoslavia in 1983 and 1984, placing 4th and 18th respectively. Similarly, the nation also sent an entry as part of Serbia and Montenegro in 2005, placing 7th with No Name’s “Zauvijek moja”.

Montenegro returned to the Contest in 2025 with Nina Žižić returning to the competition after 12 years. Singing “Dobrodošli”, Montenegro competed in the second semi-final. However, their return did not see a return to the final, with Montenegro finishing last in the semi-final with just 12 points.

What do you think of “Nova Zora”? Does Tamara Živković stand a chance of winning? Let us know your thoughts! Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok as we prepare for Eurovision 2026!

News Source: EBU

Photo Credit: Marko Tošković