The international metal community has reacted with widespread enthusiasm, solidarity, and genuine excitement to the news that Serbian progressive metal band LAVINA won their national Eurovision selection on February 28, earning the right to represent Serbia at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, in May 2026. LAVINA won both the public televote and the professional jury vote convincingly with their powerful entry "Kraj Mene," a soaring and emotionally charged anthem that artfully blends progressive metal instrumentation — including driving double bass drumming and intricate guitar work — with accessible melodic hooks and lyrics delivered in both Serbian and English.
The victory makes LAVINA the first metal act to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest since Finnish monster rockers LORDI famously won the entire competition in 2006 performing "Hard Rock Hallelujah" in full monster costumes, a historic victory that proved heavy music could captivate and win over the traditionally pop-oriented Eurovision audience while sparking a wave of rock and metal entries in subsequent years. While various rock-adjacent acts have appeared at Eurovision since LORDI's legendary triumph, none have brought the level of outright heaviness and genuine metal credibility that LAVINA promise to deliver on the prestigious Vienna stage.
Metal media outlets across Europe and North America have rallied enthusiastically behind the band, with major publications including Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, Blabbermouth, Metal Injection, and Loudwire running supportive and extensive coverage. Fans worldwide have launched coordinated social media campaigns to boost LAVINA's visibility and voting support, with dedicated hashtags trending across X and Instagram. Several prominent metal musicians from established acts have publicly voiced their support, recognizing the unique opportunity LAVINA represent for heavy music's visibility on the world's largest televised music competition.
LAVINA formed in Belgrade in 2018 and have released two studio albums of technically ambitious progressive metal that draws favorable comparisons to TOOL, GOJIRA, and LEPROUS. Their Eurovision selection has sparked broader conversations about the representation of heavier music in mainstream media and the enduring global appeal of metal as a genre that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries.