Eight additional songs have qualified to the final of “Dora 2026”, which will take place on Febuary 15th.
“Dora 2026” continued today, with 12 additional artists competing for the last eight spots in the final. The second semi-final was held at the HRT Studio in Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, and was hosted by Barbara Kolar, Duško Čurlić, Ivan Vukušić and Iva Šulentić. At the end of the evening, eight songs advanced to the final round, where they will join the eight qualifiers from the first semi-final to compete in the grand final this Sunday, February 15th.
“Dora 2026”: Second Semi-Final Qualifiers:
- Ritam Noir – “Profumi Di Mare“
- Irma – “Ni Traga“
- Lana Mandaric – “Tama“
- Stela Rade – “Nema Te“
- Devin – “Over Me“
- Marko Kultic – “Neotudivo“
- Sergej – “Scream“
- Lara Demarin – “Mantra“
“Dora 2026”: First Semi-Final Qualifiers:
- Lima Len – “Raketa“
- Ananda – “Dora“
- Ema Bubic – “Vrijeme Za Nas“
- Noelle – “Uninterrupted“
- Alan Duras – “From Ashes to Flame“
- Cold Snap – “Mucho Macho“
- ToMa – “Ledina“
- LELEK – “Andromeda“
Click the song title to listen!
Among Finalists – Several Familiar Names:
- LELEK – competed in “Dora 2025” with the song “The Soul of my Soul“, and finished in fourth place.
- Alan Duras – competed in “Dora 2024” with the song “A Tamburitza Lullaby“, and finished in fifth place.
- ToMa – competed in “Dora 2022” with the song “In the Darkness“, and finished in seventh place.
- Ananda – competed in “Dora 2025” with the song “Lies Lay Cold“, and finished in ninth place in the second semifinal.
- Irma – competed in “Dora 2025” with the song “Enigma”, and finished in 11th place in the second semi-final.
How Will Croatia Continue Choosing Its Entry for Eurovision 2026?
The 24 contestants were selected to compete in “Dora 2026” out of 251 songs submitted during the submission window. Three additional songs were selected to serve as backups in case one of the participants withdraws or is disqualified. “Dora 2026” is broadcast live on the HTV channel, the HRTi platform, and the HRT website. The winner of the Croatian “Dora” will earn the right to represent Croatia at Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria. The Croatian national broadcaster HRT will cover the travel and accommodation costs and will determine the format of the Croatian performance in Vienna.
Croatia in Eurovision: Between Maria Magdalena, Baby Lasagna and Cakes
Croatia has participated in Eurovision 30 times but has never won. The country withdrew twice from the contest, and in 2020 it was set to compete with Damir Kedzo and his song “Divlji Vjetre” (in English: “Wicked Winds”), but the participation was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Croatia is often seen as a country of extremes in Eurovision results. It first competed in 1993, with the band Put, finishing 15th among 25 entries. Since then, Croatia has enjoyed noteworthy results, including two 4th-place finishes. In 1996, Maja Blagdan reached 4th place with “Sveta Ljubav”, holding a Eurovision record for the highest sustained note until 2021, when it was surpassed by Eden Alene. In 1999, Doris Dragović also finished 4th with the iconic “Maria Magdalena”.
Since the introduction of semi-finals, Croatia’s results have fluctuated dramatically – either reaching respectable spots in the final or failing miserbaly to qualify. From 2004 to 2023, Croatia qualified for only 9 finals out of 19 attempts, including lengthy gaps of non-qualification between 2010–2013 and 2018–2022. However, there were standout results in 2004–2006, 2017, 2023, and especially in 2024, when Baby Lasagna brought Croatia its historic best, finishing in second place. In contrast, Croatia’s latest entry in 2025 marked its most painful failure, collapsing from a second-place result the year before to a painful elimination in the semi-finals.
Croatia has never won Eurovision but has reached the Top 5 on four occasions. Its best result was second place at Eurovision 2024. In addition, it placed 4th in Eurovision 1996 and Eurovision 1999 and 5th in Eurovision 1998. Croatia also secured three additional Top 10 results: 6th in Eurovision 1995, 9th in Eurovision 2000, and 10th in Eurovision 2001.
“Dora 2026” Dates:
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Semi-final 1 – Thursday, February 12th, 2026. -
Semi-final 2 – Friday, February 13th, 2026. -
Grand Final – Sunday, February 15th, 2026.
Croatia at Eurovision 2025
“Poison Cake” was the title of the song performed by Marko Bošnjak in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025. Croatia failed to qualify for the grand final, breaking the country’s recent streak of success. The song finished 12th out of 15 entries in its semi-final, receiving a total of 28 points.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Croatia’s 31st participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Croatia joined the competition in 1993 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2024 by finishing in second place with the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” performed by the singer Baby Lasagna.
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Writer and content creator at EuroMix, providing cultural insights into the world of Eurovision. Talor is a second-generation Eurovision enthusiast who grew up attending family viewing parties. The 1999 Eurovision, at just five years old, was the event that shaped his love for the contest. He holds a BA degree in Culture – Creation and Production, and his articles combine academic knowledge with a passion for pop and trash, appreciating humor and clever references in the competition’s songs. He specializes in cultural and social analysis, offering in-depth commentary.
Outside the Eurovision world, Talor works as an independent content and media manager.
