Submissions for Dora 2026 have begun! Croatia starts the search for its Eurovision representative

Hrvatska radiotelevizija (HRT) has officially published the rules for Dora 2026, the national selection that will determine the country’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.

Submissions opened on September 22, and will remain open until November 23, 2025 giving artists, songwriters, and producers plenty of time to prepare their songs and apply for one of Croatia’s most prestigious music competitions. All interested parties can submit their entries through the form located on the official HRT website HERE.

Key rules for contestants

The rules, as always, are detailed and strict. Submitted songs must be completely unreleased, meaning they cannot have been publicly performed or published before the submission date. Each song must not exceed three minutes, and performers must be at least 16 years old and hold Croatian citizenship.

Groups of up to six people are allowed on stage, and the use of Auto-Tune technology is strictly forbidden.

HRT requires applicants to submit a fully mastered studio version of the song, the lyrics, and a promotional photo. By December 20, 2025, selected artists must also deliver non-maximized stem recordings and a detailed stage plan, including the positions of all performers.

Dora: A cultural, not political event

The organizers have stressed that Dora is a purely cultural event, which is why all forms of political, commercial, or religious messages are strictly forbidden.

This rule applies not only to the stage performance but also to rehearsals, press conferences, and all promotional material.

Any violation of this principle may lead to disqualification, which highlights the seriousness with which HRT approaches the integrity of the competition.

Voting system and final details

As in previous years, the winner will be decided by a combination of public televoting and a professional jury. While the exact voting system, running order, and number of semi-final nights have not yet been confirmed, HRT has announced that all final details will be published by January 23, 2026. The live broadcasts, scheduled for February 2026, will be available on the HTV and HRTi platforms, as well as the HRT website.

The winner of Dora 2026 will take on the great responsibility of representing Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. This includes attending rehearsals, press events, and fulfilling all obligations to both HRT and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

With submissions now open and the rules clearly defined, Croatian musicians have the opportunity to showcase their creativity and compete for a place on the Eurovision stage. Strong competition and a large number of high-quality entries are expected, given the country’s recent successes and growing interest in the contest.

A brief history of Dora and its Eurovision return

Dora, or the Croatian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, is a television competition used to select the Croatian representative for Eurovision. The name Dora has been used since 1995, while the competition was previously known as Crovizija (1992) and the Croatian Television Festival (1993-1994). The contest was named after the famous Croatian composer Dora Pejačević. Although it has most often been held in Opatija, some festivals have also taken place in Zagreb.

The first winner of Dora was the Croatian pop group Magazin, well-known across the Balkans. Throughout its history, Dora has crowned some of the region’s most prominent musicians, such as Toni Cetinski, Doris Dragović, Danijela Martinović, Severina, Damir Kedžo, and many others.

Following a period of poor results and financial difficulties, HRT internally selected its representatives from 2012 to 2018, without holding a competition. However, Dora made a grand return in 2019 and has since become a key event in the search for the country’s Eurovision representative.

Since its return, the following artists have represented Croatia

• 2019: Roko with the song „The Dream,“ who did not qualify for the final.
• 2020: Damir Kedžo with the song „Divlji vjetre.“ The Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled that year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• 2021: Albina with the song „Tick-Tock,“ who did not qualify for the final.
• 2022: Mia Dimšić with the song „Guilty Pleasure,“ who also did not qualify for the final.
• 2023: Let 3 with the song „Mama ŠČ!,“ who reached the final and finished in 13th place.
• 2024: Baby Lasagna with the song „Rim Tim Tagi Dim,“ who achieved a historic second-place finish, marking Croatia’s best-ever result at Eurovision.
• 2025: Marko Bošnjak with the song „Poison Cake,“ who did not qualify for the final.

Since its return, Dora has produced six Croatian representatives for Eurovision, but only two have managed to reach the final. Who will be the new Croatian Eurovision representative, and will they find success in the competition? We’ll have to wait and see.