Eurovision 2026: Meet Serbia's LAVINA and their song Kraj mene

We profile the 2026 entry from Serbia including details on the artist, song, how it was chosen, odds, fan reaction and how the nation has fared at Eurovision.

Serbia have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 17 times as an independent country. Before their 2007 debut, Serbia had competed as part of Yugoslavia (1961 - 1992) and then as Serbia and Montenegro (2004 - 2006).

They triumphed in their first year as an independent country at the 2007 Contest in Finland, with Marija Šerifovic and her song Molitva.

Their next best finish was in 2012 in Azerbaijan, when Željko Joksimović came 3rd with his song Nije ljubav stvar. Last year Serbia was represented by Princ with his song Mila, which failed to qualify for the final.

This year, they're looking to return to the grand final with their heaviest entry to date, courtesy of metal group LAVINA. Find out more about them and their entry Kraj mene (meaning "By my side") below!

2026 entry: LAVINA - Kraj mene

• Running order: LAVINA will perform 15th closing the 1st semi final

• My Eurovision Scoreboard ranking: 16th

• Odds to win ranking: 24th

• Aussievision team ranking: 28th

(Rankings as of 19 April 2026)

About the Artist

LAVINA are a six‑member metal band from Niš, Serbia, and formed in 2020. The group — Luka Aranđelović, Pavle Aranđelović, Andrija Cvetanović, Pavle Samardžić, Nikola Petrović, and Bojan Ilić — built their reputation through consistent touring and a strong presence on the regional alternative scene. They have become recognised for their blend of heavy instrumentation, atmospheric rock elements and theatrical live performances.

They released their debut album Odyssey in 2022 - filled with melodic metal, progressive structures and emotionally driven lyrics. Since then, the band have continued to expand their catalogue with a series of standalone singles, further refining their sound and broadening their audience.

Their sound is shaped by a wide range of metal influences, with frontman Luka openly crediting 2006 Eurovision winners Lordi as his childhood heroes — a nod to the theatrical, high‑energy style which has become part of the band's identity.

Luka mentioned his love of Lordi to Aussievision's very own Hayley in our interview with him recently, which you can watch below.

About the song

Kraj Mene translates to "By my side" in English - and is a dark, emotionally charged metal‑rock track that explores themes of one‑sided love, emotional collapse, and the destructive cycles people fall into when clinging to a fading relationship.

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of longing, self‑sacrifice, and the pain of loving someone who has already pulled away. Translated in English, the chorus reads: "I still keep a place for you by my side, But this one-sided love is killing me, Can't you see how torn I am, The more I give, the less of you I have".

Musically, Kraj mene captures LAVINA's trademark blend of heavy riffs, atmospheric tension, and dramatic vocal delivery. The song builds from brooding introspection into explosive peaks, mirroring the emotional unraveling described in the lyrics. The high point comes around the 2-minute mark when Luka piles out a huge scream in the breakdown, something we haven't seen the likes of since Hungary's AWS performed in the 2019 Contest in Tel Aviv. It's a moment built for the flame cannons!

The band released an English version of the song for the Eurovision... A Little Bit More series if you would like to understand it a bit better.

How was LAVINA chosen for Eurovision?

LAVINA won Pesma za Evroviziju 26, Serbia's national selection contest at the start of March, from a field of 14 acts. The winner was chosen via a 50/50 jury and public vote spilt, and LAVINA topped both the public and jury votes, giving them top billing with maximum points.

Pesma za Evroviziju 26 Top 5:

1st: Lavina – Kraj mene (Jury: 12, Public 12, Total: 24)

2nd: Zejna – Jugoslavija (Jury: 10, Public 6, Total: 16)

3rd: Harem Girls & Ivana – Bom Bom (Jury: 7, Public 8, Total: 15)

4th: Brat Pelin – Fräulein (Jury: 4, Public 10, Total: 14)

5th: Zona – Čairi (Jury: 3, Public 7, Total: 10)

Serbia will perform 15th in semi-final 1 of Eurovision 2026 on Tuesday, 12 May in Vienna, Austria.

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