🇭🇷 Road to Malmö: Croatia

In the spotlight: Baby Lasagna

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

Baby Lasagna

Born in 1995, Marko Purišić, better known by his stage name Baby Lasagna, has carved a unique niche in the Croatian music scene as a vocalist, lyricist, and record producer. His musical journey includes a significant stint as a guitarist for the Croatian rock group Manntra between 2011-2016 and then from 2018-2022. During his time with Manntra, they achieved notable success, especially with their fourth-place finish at Dora 2019 with the song “In the Shadows”. After parting ways with Manntra in 2022, Purišić embarked on a solo career, showcasing his diverse talents. He played a pivotal role in co-writing tracks for “Ravenblack,” the twelfth studio album by the German rock band Mono Inc., which soared to the top of the German album sales chart. His contributions included hits like “Princess of the Night” and “Heartbeat of the Dead”.

Transitioning to a solo artist, Purišić released singles under the moniker Baby Lasagna, with his breakthrough solo track “IG Boi” debuting in October 2023. His subsequent single, “Don’t Hate Yourself, But Don’t Love Yourself Too Much”, further cemented his place in the music industry. In a landmark achievement, Baby Lasagna won the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, Dora, with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” on February 25, 2024, setting the stage for him to represent Croatia at Eurovision 2024 with this self-penned song, showcasing his evolution from a band member to a solo phenomenon.

Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest

Yugoslavia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest from 1961 until 1992. Several Croatian entries have taken part, some very succesful. The first time RTV Zagreb won the national selection in Yugoslavia was in 1963 with Vice Vukov‘s “Brodovi”. The Trubadurs of Dubrovnik won the contest with “Jedan dan” in 1968, an international hit song. A total of nine times, RTV Zagreb provided the entry, most succesful when Rajko Dujmić and Stevo Cvikić where responsible for the entries. In 1989, Riva won the contest with “Rock me baby”.

Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest

As an independent country, Croatia first took part in the contest in 1993. With “Don’t ever cry”, the group Put were the first entrants for Croatia. The national selection in most occasions is called DORA, also this year. Most succesful so far were Maja Blagdan in 1996 with “Sveta ljubav” and Doris Dragović in 1999 with “Marija Magdalena”.

The Bookmakers

Currently, the betting odds predict Croatia as the winner of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. If that happens, it would be the first victory ever for the country. However, the top position for Croatia is not with a landslide, Italy is coming closer and closer. It’s gonna be exciting….

The song

And this is the song:

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Martijn

Weekly Update

It’s time for your weekly update about Eurovision. This week brings announcements from across Europe, from new concerts to official bids and selection plans. Here’s everything you need to know. 🇮🇹 Eurofesta brings Eurovision to Italy For the first time, Italy will host its own large-scale Eurovision concert. Eurofesta will take place on August 31 in the city of Trieste. Over 30 Eurovision artists will perform on one stage in this brand-new outdoor event. The show promises a mix of past winners, fan favourites, and recent participants. With so many big names involved, fans are in for an unforgettable night. The full lineup and ticket information are now available on the official Eurofesta website. 🇳🇱 Het Grote Songfestivalfeest returns to Amsterdam One of the most popular Eurovision concerts is back. On November 14, Het Grote Songfestivalfeest returns to the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. The event will once again bring together Eurovision legends from past and present. This year’s show already includes names like Kaleen, Käärijä, and Johnny Logan. Many more acts will follow. Fans can expect a spectacular evening full of iconic Eurovision hits. You can find all details and tickets at the official event site. 📷 EBU/Chloe Hashemi 🇦🇹 Innsbrück officially bids for Eurovision 2026 Innsbrück has officially announced its bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The city joins others in Austria, including Vienna and Graz, in the race to welcome Europe’s biggest music show. According to ORF Tirol, the city is confident. Innsbrück highlights its experience with major events and the Olympiahalle as a suitable venue. Mayor Johannes Anzengruber said the city can offer “heart and competence” to organize a unique contest. The final decision on the host city will be made in August. 📷 Michael aus Halle, Wikimedia Commons 🇱🇺 Luxembourg holds Eurovision songwriting camp Luxembourg is working hard on its Eurovision comeback. Last week, a songwriting camp took place at Rockhal, where 45 artists and producers joined forces to write new songs. The camp was organised in collaboration with the national broadcaster. Participants came from all over Europe, including past Eurovision contributors. Each day, they created new tracks, some of which may end up in national finals—or even Eurovision itself. More details are available in the RTL Luxembourg article. 🇸🇲 San Marino questions its future Eurovision involvement San Marino’s future at Eurovision is under review. SMRTV Director Roberto Sergio announced they are “seriously considering not participating” without clearer voting transparency. He said they’re talking to the EBU and fellow microstates. The decision about Eurovision 2026 participation will come after those talks. Source is this announcement on X. 📷 EBU 🇬🇷 Greece announces national final for 2026 Big news from Greece: ERT has confirmed that the country will return to a national final for Eurovision 2026. After several years of internal selections, Greece is opening up the process once again. The plan includes two semifinals and a grand final, scheduled early next year. According to Ieidiseis, the selection will take place during a special Eurovision week. With a strong result in 2025, Greece is now building momentum. The broadcaster hopes that this new format will engage more fans and deliver another strong Eurovision entry. That’s all for this weekly update. Stay tuned to EurovisionUniverse.com for more news and developments as we march toward the next Eurovision season. Each week brings something new – and as this update shows, preparations for 2025 and even 2026 are already in full swing across Europe! Share

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