THE BIGGEST YOUTH MUSIC COMPETITION “RHYTHM OF EUROPE”
This year's host of the competition in Serbia, which will be broadcast on Prva Television, is the City of Bor. More details soon.
About the festival
The "Rhythm of Europe in Serbia" festival has existed since 2008, when it was first held in the town of Šabac. In the beginning, it was a children's music festival that gathered hundreds of students from primary and secondary schools. Over the years, the concept of the festival has changed, and in 2015, it grew from a children's music festival into a real music competition for young people under 22 years of age.
The biggest transformation happened in 2016, when a concept was introduced that was applied until 2023. At that time, children from around twenty municipalities and cities of Serbia participated in a live broadcast on First Serbian Television, presenting themselves in the language and with a song from one of the countries of Europe, Israel and Australia.
From 2023, the competition will have a "Grande Finale", where the first-placed 5 representatives from each "Rhythm of Europe" festival will compete.
The mission and vision of the competition is to provide a platform for young talents (music and dance), to connect young people from different backgrounds, building a friendly community, but also to provide an excellent basis for more serious dancing and singing.
The process of preparation of competitors lasts 9 months. During this period, our team of experts from various fields works with the contestants through mentorship to prepare them as well as possible for the telecast. Our dance and vocal educators, as well as the stage expression team, take care of every aspect of the performance, from song selection, choreography creation to make-up, hair and costumes.
Like any competition, this one has a winner. How the winner is chosen, you can read in the competition propositions. Each winner receives two prizes: the first prize goes to the city that receives the most votes, thus ensuring that the following year's telecast takes place in that city, which represents a huge potential for the promotion of the city. The second prize goes to the contestants from the winning city, who receive a trip to the country they represented.
The festival is supported by ambassadors, mayors and representatives of municipalities.
Competition through the years:
| Year | Venue | The winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Šabac | |
| 2011 | Beograd | |
| 2012 | Beograd | |
| 2013 | Šabac | Šabac |
| 2014 | Šabac | Kruševac |
| 2015 | Kruševac | Ćuprija |
| 2016 | Ćuprija | Sombor |
| 2017 | Sombor | Niš |
| 2018 | Niš | Vrnjačka Banja |
| 2019 | Vrnjačka Banja | Vranje |
| 2020 | Beograd | Čačak |
| 2021 | Čačak | Srbobran |
| 2022 | Srbobran | Zrenjanin |
| 2023 | Zrenjanin | Kikinda |
| 2024 | Kikinda | Bor |
| 2025 | Bor | Požarevac |
| 2026 | Požarevac |
TV Broadcast from the “Bobana Momčilović Veličković” Sports Hall – Bor 2025
This year’s Rhythm of Europe TV broadcast in Serbia was held in the packed “Bobana Momčilović Veličković” Sports Hall in Bor, featuring 23 cities from across the country. Both the live audience and millions of viewers at home enjoyed a musical spectacle that celebrated 19 years of the festival’s existence and 10 years of broadcasting on Prva TV.
The city of Požarevac proudly took home the winning title, with an outstanding performance by Tara Veljković and Magdalena Aćimović and their dance team, who represented Austria with the song “Wasted Love.” As a reward, Požarevac will host the national final of Rhythm of Europe in 2026, while the winners will enjoy a trip to Vienna, the capital of the country they represented.
The city of Bor, as this year’s host, impressed with flawless organization, professionalism, and energy that filled the venue. In a spectacular final watched by more than 2.8 million viewers in Serbia and Montenegro, the audience enjoyed incredible performances from young talents, as well as special guest appearances by Montenegro’s Eurovision representative Nina Žižić and Montesong 2025 candidate Lara Baltić.
The festival broke all records in viewership, attendance, and online engagement. More than 1,500 people followed the event live in the arena, while hundreds more gathered outside, singing and cheering for their favorites.
This magical night will be remembered as one of the most remarkable editions of the Rhythm of Europe Festival, carrying a timeless message — that music, youth, and unity know no borders.
This year's host of the competition in Montenegro, which will be broadcast on Radio Television of Montenegro, is the City of Niksić. More details soon.
About the festival
The festival "Rhythm of Europe in Montenegro" has existed since 2017, when it was first held in Podgorica. Inspired by the festival "Rhythm of Europe in Serbia", which has been broadcast since 2008, this festival gathers children and youth from different cities and municipalities of Montenegro who participate in a live television broadcast on Radio Television of Montenegro, 1 program, presenting themselves in the language of with a song from one of the European countries, Israel and Australia.
The mission and vision of the competition is to provide a platform for young talents (music and dance), to connect young people from different backgrounds, building a friendly community, but also to provide an excellent basis for more serious dancing and singing.
The process of preparation of competitors lasts 9 months. During this period, our team of experts from various fields works with the contestants through mentorship to prepare them as well as possible for the telecast. Our dance and vocal coaches, as well as the stage expression team, take care of every aspect of the performance, from song selection, choreography creation to make-up, hair and costumes.
Like any competition, this one has a winner. How the winner is chosen, you can read in the competition propositions. Each winner receives two prizes: the first prize goes to the city that receives the most votes, thus ensuring that the following year's telecast takes place in that city, which represents a huge potential for the promotion of the city. The second prize goes to the contestants from the winning city, who receive a trip to the country they represented.
The festival is supported by ambassadors, mayors and representatives of municipalities
Televised Broadcast from the Nikšić Sports Center 2025
This year’s Rhythm of Europe television broadcast was held in a packed Nikšić Sports Center, where 14 cities from Montenegro competed for the prestigious title of national champion.
The winner of this year’s edition was the Municipality of Kolašin, represented by Maja Martinović and the dance team, performing the song “Veronika” on behalf of Slovenia. With her powerful vocals, emotion, and stage energy, Maja and her team captivated both the jury and the audience, earning a well-deserved victory.
As their prize, the winners received a trip to Slovenia, where they will have the opportunity to experience the country’s culture and musical heritage.
The show was opened by Ivana Simić, the international winner of the Rhythm of Europe Festival, whose performance reminded everyone of the uniting power of music and emotion. The audience enjoyed an evening filled with energy, talent, and passion, while Nikšić once again proved itself as a city that truly lives through music and togetherness.
This year’s edition will also be remembered as the first time free audience tickets were introduced, elevating the festival experience and organization to a new level.
During the live broadcast, the festival officially announced that, for the first time, it has submitted its own contestant to the national selection for Eurovision – Montesong 2026, fully supporting its artist through production, creative, and logistical execution. With this milestone, Rhythm of Europe became the first and only international festival to bring its own talent to a national Eurovision selection, reaffirming its mission to guide young artists toward Europe’s biggest stages.
This year's host of the competition in the Republic of Srpska, which will be broadcast on Radio Television of the Republic of Srpska, is the city of Prnjavor. More details will be available soon.
About the festival
The festival "Rhythm of Europe in Republika Srpska" has existed since 2020, when the first television broadcast was held in Banja Luka. The festival was inspired by "Rhythm of Europe in Serbia," which has been broadcast since 2008.
Children from different cities and municipalities of the Republika Srpska participate in a live broadcast on Radio Television of the Republika Srpska, presenting themselves in the language and with a song from one of the countries of Europe, Israel or Australia.
The mission and vision of the competition is to provide a platform for young talents (music and dance), connecting young people from different backgrounds, building a friendly community and providing a basis for future serious dancing and singing.
The process of preparing the contestants lasts 9 months, during which our team of experts from different fields work with the contestants through mentoring in order to prepare them as well as possible for the television broadcast. Our dance and vocal coaches, as well as the stage expression team, take care of every aspect of the performance, from song selection, choreography creation to make-up, hair and costumes.
Each competition has a winner, and you can read the method of choosing the winner in the competition propositions. Each winner receives two prizes: the city with the most votes becomes the host of the next year's telecast, which represents a huge potential for the promotion of the city, while the contestants of that city receive a trip to the country they represented.
The festival is supported by ambassadors, mayors and representatives of municipalities.
Television Broadcast from the Sloga Sports Hall – Prnjavor 2025
This year’s television broadcast of “Rhythm of Europe in the Republic of Srpska” was held in a packed Sloga Sports Hall in Prnjavor and aired live on RTRS – First Channel. The stage brought together 15 cities and municipalities, including 13 from the Republic of Srpska and 2 from Montenegro – Kolašin and Berane, offering audiences a clear preview of what lies ahead in the festival’s future.
The evening was opened by the host city, Prnjavor, with a performance of the song “Molitva”. Spectacular stage performances, top-level production, and the unmistakable energy of young performers turned Prnjavor into the musical epicenter of the region. The hall was filled to capacity, with lights, emotions, and applause creating an atmosphere that celebrated music, talent, and unity among young people across cities.
The winner of the evening was the Municipality of East New Sarajevo, representing Cyprus with the song “El Diablo”. They captured the hearts of both the audience and the jury, becoming the last national winners of Rhythm of Europe in the Republic of Srpska.
The news that marked the night—and left everyone in surprise—was the decision that national broadcasts of Rhythm of Europe in the Republic of Srpska will no longer be held in their current format. This decision is part of the festival’s strategic plan to establish, over the next three years, a new competition system: two semifinals and one Grand International Finale, further connecting countries and participants across the region.
The festival extends its gratitude to the City of Prnjavor and Mayor Darko Tomas for their exceptional hospitality, cooperation, and continuous support for young talents, as well as to the audience and partners who contributed to making the Prnjavor broadcast one of the most watched and well-received editions to date.
This year’s host of the Grand Finale is the CITY OF DERVENTA from Republika Srpska, and the broadcast will be aired on Radio Television of Republika Srpska. More details will be available soon.
The first television broadcast and the first "Grand Finale" of the festival in 2024 was held in the city of Strumica, in North Macedonia, and broadcast on Sitel television. The city of Strumica had the honor of being the first host of the grand finale of the festival, as another country that joined the "Rhythm of Europe."
The “Grande International Finale” featured 21 competitors, offering an incredible opportunity for unity and talent exchange. Six cities and municipalities from Serbia and Montenegro, along with five from Republika Srpska, joined four cities/municipalities from North Macedonia, which had their first opportunity to showcase their talent and energy on this grand stage.
Children from different cities and municipalities of North Macedonia participate in a live television broadcast broadcast on Sitel television, presenting themselves in the language and with a song of one of the countries of Europe, Israel or Australia.
The mission and vision of the competition is to provide a platform for young talents (music and dance), connecting young people from different backgrounds, building a friendly community and providing a basis for serious dancing and singing.
The process of preparing the contestants lasts 9 months, during which our team of experts from different fields work with the contestants through mentoring in order to prepare them as well as possible for the television broadcast. Our dance and vocal coaches, as well as the stage expression team, take care of every aspect of the performance, from song selection, choreography creation to make-up, hair and costumes.
Each competition has a winner, and you can read the method of choosing the winner in the competition propositions. Each winner receives two prizes: the city with the most votes gets to host the telecast the following year, which represents a huge potential for the promotion of the city, while the contestants of that city receive a trip to the country they represented or the song and video if it is a grand finale such as that was the case in 2024.
The festival is supported by ambassadors, mayors and representatives of municipalities.
Television Broadcast from the Mediterranean Sports Center Budva 2025
The second Grand International Finale was held on April 30, 2025, in the packed Mediterranean Sports Center in Budva, featuring 27 cities from Serbia, Montenegro, and Republika Srpska. This television spectacle broke all previous records of the Rhythm of Europe festival and set new standards in production and hosting.
For the first time ever, the finale was broadcast simultaneously on two national television networks – RTCG 2 and RTRS Plus – via an Eurovision-grade transmission link, used exclusively for top-tier European events. With this achievement, the festival further strengthened its status as the most-watched youth music competition in the region. Also for the first time in history, viewers worldwide were able to follow the event through the official Rhythm of Europe YouTube channel, thanks to the live stream.
The hosts of the broadcast, Igor Karadarević and Ana Antonić, delivered the energy, emotion, and magnitude of the moment directly from Budva to audiences at home.
The biggest applause of the evening went to the city of Derventa, which triumphed with the song “Liar” representing Cyprus. Ivana Simić and her dance team brought the international victory to Derventa, securing for their city the hosting rights for next year’s Grand International Finale. In addition, they won a brand-new song, a music video, and — for the first time in the festival’s history — a one-year contract for the development of a professional music career.
The revue segment of the evening featured guest performances from the municipalities/cities of Boljevci, Bogatić, Zrenjanin, Srbobran, Nova Crnja, Gornji Milanovac, Bosilegrad, as well as a special guest appearance by Zorana Mrđa. The music video for “Budva zove”, the first song produced by the Rhythm of Europe festival, was also premiered.
This historic broadcast will be remembered for its top-tier production, precisely synchronized stage effects, and innovations that pushed the boundaries of youth television programming. Budva 2025 shined as the European capital of talent — and the Rhythm of Europe story continues, stronger than ever.
The biggest music competition "Rhythm of Europe" for young people, which is broadcast on television with national coverage, has a 16-year tradition and is supported by the ambassadors of European countries, Israel and Australia. "Rhythm of Europe" gathers children and youth aged 16 to 24, who represent their city or municipality and sing in the language of one of the countries of Europe, Israel or Australia. The total number of representative cities - competitors is a maximum of 25, and a minimum of 12 in one country, taking into account the cities of other countries that are guests of the festival.
The audition for the selection of representatives of a city or municipality is held in that city or municipality. All interested children and youth are informed in cooperation with the city or municipality through an organized public invitation - schools, cultural and artistic associations, cultural centers, dance clubs, social networks.
The process of preparing children and youth for television broadcasting lasts at least 7 and at most 9 months, during which the children train with the "Rhythm of Europe" television teams in order to present the assigned European country, Israel or Australia, in the television broadcast.
The winner of the competition is determined by summing up the SMS votes, the votes of the jury of the participating cities and the expert jury assigned by the "Rhythm of Europe" festival, about which the "Rhythm of Europe" festival must inform the participants through the coordinator assigned by the local government 30 days before the television program. The number of members of the expert jury is at least 3 and at most 5 people who are established in their field, and known to the general public of that country (prominent artists, actors, singers, directors, directors)
Next year, the City of Winners will be televised on television with national coverage, and the contestants of the City of Winners will receive a trip to the country they represented in the television program as a prize. If the Winning City does not meet the requirements for the realization of the television broadcast prescribed by the technical and organizational capacities and possibilities, it will be deprived of the right of hosting, and the organizer will decide from which city the television broadcast will be made for the following year. In this sense, the television broadcast for the following year will be held in a city that is not a participating city of that competition season, i.e. on neutral ground.
Scoring of participants is done in two phases:
First Phase:
The propositions of the "Rhythm of Europe" competition mandate that one jury member be delegated from each city participating in the competition, who will, at their own discretion, award points from one point up to the maximum number of points, in such a way that the city from which the member is the jury comes to award one point, and the other participants from 2 points up to the maximum number of points, which makes a total of 25 percent of all points awarded to cities and municipalities participating in the competition.A member of the jury of the city of the competitor must be a professional or must come from the field of art, music, culture, sports. The competing city will submit to the organizer of the "Rhythm of Europe"festival the biography of the potential member of the jury, which will be approved by the festival at least 30 days before the telecast. Voting is done through software with the "Rhythm of Europe" interface, with which the jury members will be introduced in good time before the final vote and who will undergo training on how to vote.
When the host city does not vote for technical or other reasons, instead of the host city, points are awarded to the participating cities by a jury delegated by the organizers of "Rhythm of Europe".
If the delegated member of the jury of the Participating City does not come to vote at the previously agreed time at the location from where the "Rhythm of Europe" television program and competition is broadcast or another location determined by the organizer and from where the delegated members of the jury of the Participating Cities can vote successfully and transparently, instead of that member the jury is voted by a delegated member of the jury of "Rhythm of Europe".
Members of the expert jury awarded by "Rhythm of Europe" vote at their will, independently at their discretion and award points to cities from 1 point to the maximum number of points expressed by the number of participating cities and municipalities. The points of the members of the expert jury are added up and the cities are ranked by the sum of the points. After ranking, cities receive points that are proportional to their place (eg: first place gets 25 points, second place gets 24 points, 3rd place gets 23 points, etc.), which makes up a total of 25 percent of all points awarded to cities and municipalities participating in the competition. The number of points depends on the number of competing cities and varies from country to country and from year to year.
The points obtained from the expert jury are added to the points obtained from the jury of the participating cities and municipalities, and in this way the total points of the jury are obtained, which are added to the points from SMS voting (second stage).
If the number of points in the total sum is equal for two or more participating cities, the advantage is given to the city/municipality that received more points than the host city.
Second Phase:
The organizer of the competition, in cooperation with all mobile teleoperators of that country, signs an agreement on their inclusion in such a way that viewers, participants, the present audience and other interested parties will be able to vote for their favorite with the following content of the message - example: SONG 01. Voting is done according to this principle up to the number of representative candidates. Voting via SMS messages accounts for 50 percent of all points awarded to cities and municipalities participating in the competition. The price of the SMS message and the voting number will be known 30 days before the final telecast, and the information will be shared through the official website www.theeurope.eu, official social networks, public media, billboards.The maximum number of points is equal to the number of cities and municipalities participating in the "Rhythm of Europe" competition in that country.
* Proposals can be changed in accordance with the decision development strategy and the business strategy.
There are no auditions for the Grand Finale – all cities that placed in the top 5 in their respective countries automatically qualify. The only exception is when a new country joins the competition, in which case auditions are held as described in the “Rules” section.
The minimum number of contestants from each city is 15.
The preparation process for the televised broadcast lasts between 7 and 9 months. During this period, contestants train with the “Rhythm of Europe” television teams to represent their assigned country from Europe, Israel, or Australia in the final broadcast.
The production reserves the discretionary right to change the song if two representatives are set to perform for the same country with the same song, in order to ensure diversity and maintain the highest quality of the program.
Scoring System
Contestant scoring is based on three factors:
1. Jury Votes from Participating Cities
a. Each participating city delegates one jury member.
b. The jury member assigns scores at their own discretion, ranging from 1 to the maximum number of points.
c. They must give their own city 1 point, while distributing the remaining points (from 2 up to the maximum score) to other participants.
d. This voting segment accounts for 25% of the total score.
e. The jury member must be a professional from the field of arts, music, culture, or sports. Their biography must be approved by the festival at least 30 days before the television broadcast.
2. Expert Jury Votes
a. The expert jury consists of 3 to 5 public figures recognized in their respective countries (artists, actors, singers, directors, producers).
b. Each expert jury member independently assigns scores from 1 to the maximum number of points.
c. The total expert jury scores are summed and converted into points based on placement (e.g., first place receives 25 points, second place 24, etc.).
d. This segment also accounts for 25% of the total score.
3. SMS Voting
a. SMS voting makes up 50% of the total score.
b. The audience can vote an unlimited number of times for their favorite contestant.
c. The SMS voting price and number will be announced 30 days before the final broadcast and published on the official website (www.theeurope.eu), social media, and public announcements.
Special Voting Rules
If the host city is unable to vote for technical or other reasons, a jury appointed by the organizers will distribute the points instead.
If a city’s designated jury member fails to attend the scheduled voting, a “Rhythm of Europe” jury member will vote in their place.
If two or more cities have the same total score, priority is given to the city that received more points from the host city.
Television Broadcast & Awards
The winning city becomes the host of the following year’s television broadcast, which is aired on a national television network.
The winning city’s contestants receive a song and a music video as a prize.
If the winning city does not meet the technical and organizational requirements for hosting the event, the organizers may select another city. In such cases, the broadcast will be held in a neutral location that is not competing in that season.
General Provisions
The maximum number of points corresponds to the number of participating cities and municipalities.
The competition rules may be modified in accordance with the festival’s development strategy and business decisions.
OUR TEAM
David Makević
For the tenth year in a row, in cooperation with the Embassies of European countries, the implementation of “The Rhythm of Europe” project has been expanding its operations to countries in the region, in the field of economy and management.
Through “The Rhythm of Europe” new projects have been developed aimed at encouraging the development of talents among children and youth. By managing this kind of work system, young talents have been created, which are a constantly television inspiration in implementation of this kind of children’s music competition and as such give the energy and the power to realize new business ventures and support the young people in the media, in the largest television format in our area adapted to children and youth.
Igor Karadarević
Igor Karadarevič was born on 03.12.1981.year.
The finalist of the selection for the Eurovision leader on the Radio-television of Serbia more known as a “Evropsko lice”. Editor and manager of the morning program on the Radio-telvision of Serbia, the leader of the show “Jedna pesma, jedna želja”. The director of the program “Rhythm of Europe in Serbia” on the Prva Srpska Televizija (PRVA TV).
Igor Karadarević has transferred his energy and the desire to stimulate the development of young people to the countries of Europe, among which is: Sweden – “Sweden in the rhythm of Europe”, Cyprus – “Cyprus in the rhythm of Europe”, Croatia – “Croatia in the rhythm of Europe”, Montenegro – “Rhythm of Europe in Montenegro”, Malta – “Malta in the rhythm of Europe”, Ukraine – “Ukraine in the rhythm of Europe”, Moldova – “Moldova in the rhythm of Europe”.
Milan Milinković
Milan Milinković, born in 2002 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a multiple national champion in modern dance and a World Cup winner. Since 2021, he has been the lead choreographer of the “Rhythm of Europe” festival, leaving his signature on five television seasons across four national broadcasters in the region. As of 2025, he holds a new position – Art Supervisor. Always smiling, full of energy, and endlessly innovative, Milan is the heart of the movement and the creative force behind ideas that leave audiences breathless.
Nemanja Antonić
Nemanja Antonić was born in Šabac in 1994, in the Republic of Serbia. After secondary music school and a successful period as a pianist, he enrolled and graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. As a music producer, he collaborates with numerous eminent performers such as Milica Pavlović, Ace Pejović, the group Hurricane with whom he composed the Eurovision hit "Loco Loco" in 2021, and many others.
He joined the “Rhythm of Europe” team to discover young, promising performers and future stars.
Nenad Jeremić
Nenad Jeremic was born in Montenegro. His engagement at the festival began 7 years ago as part of the organization only for Montenegro. For years, supporting the efforts of children and parents as well as the local and state establishment to provide the children of Montenegro with a more carefree upbringing with song and dance, the festival was rewarded with engagement in other countries of the region. The absolutely favorite person who captivates all over Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia from the organization becomes recognizable for his persistence, dedication, accuracy and emotions that he conveys unselfishly to thousands of people and an audience of millions.
Nenad Jeremic is a person you can rely on and trust.