Road to Liverpool: Croatia

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Croatia.

Let 3

With a landslide, Croatian band Let 3 won the ticket to represent their country in the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song, “Mama ŠČ” was written and composed by Damir Martinović and co-composed by Zoran Prodanović. The song is an anti war song, containing lines like ‘mama buys a tractor’. This refers to Vladimir Putin getting a tractor for his 70th birthday from the Belarusian president Lukashenko.

Damir and Zoran both are members of Let 3, along with Ivan Bojčić, Dražen Baljak and Matej Zec. The band was formed in former Yugoslavia in 1987. The band is quite controversial and known for their obscene live performances. According to their Wikipedia page, they often have provocative and vulgar lyrics. The band released a total of 10 studio albums, the most recent one called “Angela Merkel sere“, which means ‘Angela Merkel shits’. 

DORA

Croatia selects their entry through a contest called DORA. That is already the name of the contest since 1993. The way the winner is chosen is different every year. This year, there was a final with a total of 18 songs. It was a 50/50 jury and televoting show. The jury was build up in an oldfashioned way. Regional juries in 10 cities decided the jury vote. Someone who took part in DORA in the past very often was Jacques Houdek. However, he never won. He went to Eurovision in 2017 when he was internally selected.

 

Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest

Croatia was very succesful in the Eurovision Song Contest as a state in former Yugoslavia. Especially when the duo Rajko Dujmic and Stevo Cvikić started writing the entries. They were 4th in 1987 with Novi Fosili and got the only victory for Yugoslavia in 1989 with Riva and the song Rock me. In 1993 Croatia started participating as an independent country. The best scores were 4th places for Maja Blagdan in 1996 and for Doris Dragović in 1999.

Bookmakers

Croatia is currently 18th in the betting odds, which means they will reach the final. That would be the first time this happens since 2017, when Jacques Houdek reached the final.

The song

And of course, this is the song:

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The second semifinal of Dora, the Croatian national final, will be held. Tonight, the show will start at 20.15 CET. You can watch the show on YouTube. 2nd semifinal date: 13 FebruaryPlace: HRT Studios, Prisavlje, ZagrebHosts: Barbara Kolar, Duško Čurlić, Ivan Vukušić & Iva Šulentić 1 Ritam Noir Profumi Di Mare         l & m: Moris Orbanić         2 Irma Ni traga         l & m: Anja Grabovac & Jan Jakovljev         3 Gabrijel Ivić Light Up         l & m: Gabrijel Ivić & Jun Ishida         4 Zevin My Mind         l & m: Jernej Drnovšek, Nives Cilenšek         5 Ivan Sever Crying Eyes         l & m: Aidan O’Connor, Ivan Sever & John Doherty         6 Lana Mandarić Tama         l: Zorana Mandarić  m: Zorana Mandarić & Lana Mandarić         7 Stela Rade Nema te         l & m: Anja Grabovac & Jan Jakovljev         8 Devin Over Me         l & m: Devin Juraj         9 Kandžija 3 ujutro         l & m: Stjepko ‘Kandžija’ Galović         10 Marko Kutlić Neotuđivo         l & m: Marko Kutlić         11 Sergej Scream         l: Laura Sučec, Matej Magdić & Sergej Božić m: Laura Sučec         12 Lara Demarin Mantra         l: Ananda Đuranović, Lara Demarin & Luka Demarin  m: Ananda Đuranović, Lara Demarin, Robert Aralica           1st semifinal date: 12 februaryPlace: HRT Studios, Prisavlje, ZagrebHosts: Barbara Kolar, Duško Čurlić, Ivan Vukušić & Iva Šulentić 1 Lima Len Raketa advanced       l & m: Alen Kozić & Damir Božanić         2 Jasmina Makota Higher eliminated       l: Jasmina Makota  m: Jasmina Makota & Marin Hraščanec         3 Ananda Dora advanced       l: Ananda Đuranović, Diogo Guerra, Tchiah Ommar Abdulrahman & Ynke Dingenen m: Ananda Đuranović, Diogo Guerra, Dora Pejačević, Tchiah Ommar Abdulrahman & Ynke Dingenen         4 Tony Sky O Ne! eliminated       l & m: Toni Volar         5 Fran Uccellini Ako bolje bude sutra eliminated       l & m: Fran Uccellini         6 Ema Bubić Vrijeme za nas advanced       l & m: Lara Pilepić         7 Noelle Uninterrupted advanced       l: Bonnie Max, Ivana ‘Noelle’ Crnković, Larissa Tormey & Rebecca Lane m: Bonnie Max, Filipe Nicolau, Larissa Tormey, Rebecca Lane         8 Alen Đuras From Ashes To Flame advanced       l & m: Alen Đuras & Siniša Reljić         9 Fenksta Momento Mori eliminated       l: Abby Dank, Emma Louise Gale & Saša ‘Fenksta” Stević  m: Abby Dank & Saša ‘Fenksta’ Stević         10 Cold Snap Mucho Macho advanced       l: Jan Kerekeš  m: Jan Kerekeš & Josip Novak         11 ToMa Ledina advanced       l: Tomislav Marić  m: Jan Jakovljev & Tomislav Marić         12 Lelek Andromeda advanced       l: Tomislav Roso m: Filip Lacković, Lazar Pajić & Zorja Pajić         final date: 15 FebruaryPlace: HRT Studios, Prisavlje, ZagrebHosts: Barbara Kolar, Duško Čurlić, Ivan Vukušić & Iva Šulentić * Lima Len Raketa         l & m: Alen Kozić & Damir Božanić         * Ananda Dora         l: Ananda Đuranović, Diogo Guerra, Tchiah Ommar Abdulrahman & Ynke Dingenen m: Ananda Đuranović, Diogo Guerra, Dora Pejačević, Tchiah Ommar Abdulrahman & Ynke Dingenen         * Ema Bubić Vrijeme za nas         l & m: Lara Pilepić         * Noelle Uninterrupted         l: Bonnie Max, Ivana ‘Noelle’ Crnković, Larissa Tormey & Rebecca Lane m: Bonnie Max, Filipe Nicolau, Larissa Tormey, Rebecca Lane         * Alen Đuras From Ashes To Flame         l & m: Alen Đuras & Siniša Reljić         * Cold Snap Mucho Macho advanced       l: Jan Kerekeš  m: Jan Kerekeš & Josip Novak         * ToMa Ledina advanced       l: Tomislav Marić  m: Jan Jakovljev & Tomislav Marić         * Lelek Andromeda advanced       l: Tomislav Roso m: Filip Lacković, Lazar Pajić & Zorja Pajić         *                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *                       *                      

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Eurovision 2026
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