Across its history in the contest, just two songs have managed to carry Montenegro into a Eurovision Grand Final.

We're here to celebrate their Statehood Day with those two cracking entries.

Statehood Day, annually on July 13 is a public holiday that commemorates two defining moments in the country’s history: the international recognition of its independence at the Berlin Congress in 1878, and the anti-fascist uprising of 1941. It is a day that reflects both Montenegro’s long struggle for statehood and its strong tradition of resistance and national identity.

Montenegro may not be a frequent flyer at Eurovision Grand finals but let's take a walk down memory lane with their most successful entrants Sergej Ćetković and Knez:

Their first qualifier came in 2014, when Sergej Ćetković graced the stage with Moj svijet in Copenhagen.

A soft, emotive Balkan ballad sung entirely in Montenegrin, the song leaned heavily into regional musical traditions while maintaining an intimate vibe that any casual watcher of the Contest could fall in love with on first watch.

It took five attempts at Eurovision for Montenegro to bank their first Grand Final appearance.

Sergej Ćetković qualified from semi-final 1 alongside the likes of The Common Linnets, Sanna Nielsen and Aram Mp3 and managed a strong seventh place. Beating home the likes of Pollapönk, Valentina Monetta, Suzy and Tanja.

Of course, the performance featured one of the more memed moments of the year, a rollerblading skater twirling around a striking Sergej in a drippy black suit - it was both heartwarming and mildly amusing.

Montenegro placed 19th in the Grand Final, even above Eurovision powerhouse Italy, which had an uncharacteristic hiccup with Emma's entry La mia città.

Montenegro didn't have to wait long for their second qualification - coming just a year later in 2015 with Knez and the iconic entry Adio.

A song that leaned even further into their Balkan musical identity and gave us one of the most spammed dance moves at Euroclub, the Knez spin.

Written in part by Željko Joksimović, Eurovision royalty penning the likes of Lane moje, Lejla, Oro and Nije ljubav stvar - Adio combined traditional instrumentation with a dramatic, modern arrangement which stood out in Vienna.

Adio qualified from semi-final 2 in 9th place, ahead of fan favourites Molly Sterling and Maria Olafs in a very top-heavy semi-final in terms of quality, with Sweden's Måns Zelmerlöw soaking up a hefty chunk of points.

Montenegro managed to place 13th in the Grand Final - their best result to date! Their points came from Serbia (12), Slovenia (10), Armenia (8), Albania (6), FYR Macedonia (4), Azerbaijan (2) and Sweden (2).

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Together, these two qualifiers highlight a clear pattern: Montenegro finds its greatest success when it leans into authenticity and regional musical heritage rather than chasing broader pop trends.

Both entries were unapologetically Balkan in sound and language, and both connected strongly enough with audiences and juries to overcome the country’s historically challenging qualification record.

Montenegro took a big swing with Tamara Živković at Eurovision this year, which unfortunately didn't pay off - we wish them the best of success at their next Eurovision appearance and happy Statehood Day!

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