Croatia has been represented at theEurovision Song Contest 30 times since making its debut at the1993 contest. The Croatian participating broadcaster in the contest isHrvatska radiotelevizija (HRT), which has selected its entrant through theDora [hr] festival since 1993, excluding from 2012 to 2018. Croatia's best result in the contest is a second-place finish in2024.
Croatia failed to reach the final for four years in succession (2010–2013), before choosing to not participate in2014 and2015.[1][2] Croatia returned and reached the final in both2016 and2017, before again failing to reach the final for four consecutive contests (2018–2022), and in2025. In total, Croatia has failed to reach the final in nine of the last fifteen contests it has entered.
In February 1993, HRT organised HTF - Hrvatski televizijski festival (Croatian television festival),[4] which was to select the country's debut entry as an independent state for the1993 contest. The bandPut won performing the song "Don't Ever Cry" which was, despite the English title, also partially performed in Croatian. The song came third in theKvalifikacija za Millstreet pre-selection event, which allowed their participation in the 1993 contest. HTF was also held in 1994 for the1994 contest, until being renamed to Dora in 1995, the name which is still to this day used for the Croatian pre-selection event. The new name for the contest was inspired by the Croatian composerDora Pejačević.[5]
Along withCyprus,Malta, Norway,Portugal, and Sweden, Croatia was never relegated in the 1990s, and, unlike Cyprus, Norway, and Portugal, it was never relegated in the beginning of the 21st century. Relegation meant that the country would have to sit out the subsequent contest due to poor placement.
Croatia continued selecting its participants through Dora for the entirety of the decade. AfterVanna's song "Strings of my Heart" finished 10th at the2001 contest, the country has not achieved a Top 10 placement until placing second at the2024 contest. The2007 edition of the contest saw Croatia failing to qualify for the finals for the first time ever. The country qualified for the finals again at the2008 and2009 contests, achieving their lowest placements at the time, placing 21st and 18th respectively.
Both 2010 and 2011 Dora winners,Feminnem andDaria Kinzer respectively, failed to quality for the finals at the2010 and2011 contests. In 2012, Dora was cancelled,[6][7] and for the first time ever since the country's debut in 1993, no pre-selection contest was held. An internal selection was made by HRT instead, withNina Badrić andKlapa s Mora selected to represent Croatia at the2012 and2013 contests respectively. Both entries ultimately continued Croatia's non-qualification streak.
HRT announced on 19 September 2013 that they would not participate in the2014 contest, citing the financial difficulties, as well as a string of poor results between2010 and2013 influencing their decision to take a year's break. The last time Croatia qualified for the grand final at the time was in2009.[1] Croatia would not return to the contest in2015,[2] and on 5 May 2015, HRT announced that it wouldn't broadcast the 2015 contest either.[8] It was the first time since1992 for HRT to not broadcast the contest.
On 26 November 2015, it was announced that Croatia would return to the contest in2016.[9] It was also reported that the entry would possibly be the winner of the first season ofThe Voice – Najljepši glas Hrvatske.[10]Nina Kraljić wonThe Voice and was selected to represent Croatia with the internally selected song "Lighthouse". The entry qualified for the final, making it the first time Croatia had made it to the final since 2009. After the successful return in 2016, Croatian national broadcaster HRT confirmed on 17 September 2016 that they would also participate in2017.[11]Jacques Houdek, the coach of Nina Kraljić inThe Voice, was internally selected to represent the country on 17 February 2017, exactly five months after they confirmed the participation.[12]Franka Batelić was internally selected to represent the country at the2018 contest.
On 30 October 2018, it was announced by HRT that the national final, Dora, would return in 2019, traditionally taking place inOpatija, a famous summer resort.[13]Roko won the first renewed edition of Dora with "The Dream", ultimately failing to qualify for the finals at the2019 contest.
In March 2021, it was confirmed that HRT and Opatija had signed a three-year long contract regarding the organization of HRT Music Days and Dora, meaning both of these events were held in the city annually until 2024.[14]Damir Kedžo won the 2020 edition of Dora with "Divlji vjetre", but did not represent Croatia due to the2020 contest's cancellation caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[15]Albina andMia Dimšić won the subsequent Dora editions, both failing to qualify for the finals at the2021 and2022 contests.Let 3 won Dora in 2023 and went on to secure the country's first finale qualification since 2017, ultimately finishing 13th. The following year's2024 edition of Dora was held inZagreb through two semi-final shows on 22 and 23 February, and the final show on 25 February 2024.[16]Baby Lasagna won with "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" and achieved the country's best result to date, having placed second at the2024 contest.
Each participating broadcaster in the Eurovision Song Contest assigns a head of delegation as the EBU's contact person and the leader of their delegation at the event. The delegation, whose size can greatly vary, includes a head of press, the contestants, songwriters, composers and backing vocalists, among others.[21]
Each participating broadcaster assembles a five-member jury panel consisting of music industry professionals for the Eurovision Song Contest, ranking all entries except for their own. The modern incarnation of jury voting was introduced beginning with the2009 contest, and as of 2023[update], the juries' votes constitute just under 50% of the overall result in the final alongside televoting.[29]
For the show's broadcast on HRT, various commentators have provided commentary on the contest in the Croatian language. At the Eurovision Song Contest after all points are calculated, the presenters of the show call upon each voting country to invite each respective spokesperson to announce the results of their vote on-screen.[39]
From1961 until1991, Croatia was part ofYugoslavia and TV Zagreb, the affiliate of JRT in the socialist republic, broadcast the contest with Croatian commentary.
^According to thethen-Eurovision rules, the top ten non-Big Four countries from the previous year along with the Big Four automatically qualified for the grand final without having to compete in semi-finals. AlthoughSerbia and Montenegro finished in the top ten in2005, they did not participate in the 2006 contest, and their place in the final was awarded to 11th-placeCroatia.
^"tv program – srijeda, 12.05.2004" [TV programme – Wednesday, 12 May 2004].Karlovački tjednik (in Croatian).Karlovac, Croatia. 6 May 2004. p. 20. Retrieved21 September 2024 – via Gradske knjižnice "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Karlovac.
^"tv program – subota, 15.05.2004" [TV programme – Saturday, 15 May 2004].Karlovački tjednik (in Croatian).Karlovac, Croatia. 13 May 2004. p. 20. Retrieved21 September 2024 – via Gradske knjižnice "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Karlovac.
^"Drugi program HTV" [Second program HTV] (in Croatian). 14 May 2013.Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved23 March 2024.
^"HRT: Eurosong 2013" [HRT: Eurovision Song Contest 2013].HRT (in Croatian). 8 May 2013. Archived fromthe original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved23 March 2024.
For the most recent participation see
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