Serbia Confirms Return Following Semi-Final Disappointment

Serbia has officially confirmed their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, marking their continued commitment to the competition despite a disappointing result in Basel. The announcement came through an interview on May 26 with Duška Vučinić-Lučić, Head of Media at RTS and Eurovision commentator, who confirmed Serbia’s intention to compete in the 70th edition of the contest in Austria.

The confirmation follows Serbia’s failure to qualify for the Grand Final in Eurovision 2025, where their representative Princ performed “Mila” and finished fourteenth in the semi-final with 28 points, including 12 points from Montenegro.

The Serbian delegation has indicated that their next representative will likely be chosen through “Pesma za Evroviziju ’26,” suggesting a return to their national selection format rather than an internal selection process.

During the interview, Vučinić-Lučić also addressed concerns about the competition’s integrity, particularly regarding Israel’s participation, stating that while RTS did not file formal complaints about the 2025 contest, this was primarily because they did not qualify for the final. She emphasized the delegation’s belief that Princ would have qualified for the final if jury voting had been included in the semi-finals, highlighting ongoing discussions about the competition’s voting system.