The 20th artist in our Who Is series for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is Lavina from Serbia.
Lavina (Avalanche) was formed in 2020 in Niš in southern Serbia. The band consists of Luka Aranđelović (vocals), Pavle Aranđelović (keyboards), Pavle Samardžić (guitar), Andrija Cvetanović (guitar), Nikola Petrović (bass) and Bojan Ilić (drums).
Lavina released their debut single “Id” in 2022. This was followed by their debut album “Odyssey” later in the year. In 2024, they released two singles “In Your Absence” and “Iron Will”. The band has performed at festivals in Serbia like Arsenal Fest in Kragujevac, and at international festivals such as Sziget in Hungary and Eurosonic in the Netherlands.
Lavina was selected to represent Serbia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after winning Pesma za Evroviziju ’26. They won both the jury and public votes in the final.
The song that Lavina will perform in Vienna is called “Kraj mene” (Next to me). It was written and composed by all six band members. It is Lavina’s first release in Serbian.
We had the chance to speak to Lavina before their participation in Pesma za Evroviziju ’26. You can watch the interview here:
Lavina will perform in slot 15 in the first semi-final on May 12.
Serbia has competed as an independent nation in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2007, and has seen great success in the competition. Their first entry in 2007, “Molitva” by Marija Šerifović, won the contest in Helsinki with 268 points, making Serbia one of only two countries to win on their debut. Since then, Serbia finished in the top 10 a further four times, including a 3rd place finish in 2012 with “Nije ljubav stvar” by Željko Joksimović.
