Back in September the confirmation of Croatia’s participation came in the form of the announcement that DORA will be returning in 2020. This means that Croatia will be selecting their entry using the national final for the second time in a row. Now, HRT have opened submissions for the selection, which close in December.
The submissions window opened today (November 5th) and will close on December 15th. A total of sixteen songs will be selected to participate in the show, as chosen by a jury panel. The 16 entries will be selected on the basis of “artistic value, with emphasis on the quality of music and lyrics”. Once again, DORA 2020 will be a one-shot national final, without no semi-finals or elimination rounds. HRT have also published a comprehensive list of requirements of those submitting entries.
The terms for submitting an entry are as follows:
- Comply with the EBU’s September 1st deadline
- Have not been performed publicly before
- Persons involved with the song (authors, vocalists, producers) consent to the submission and the rights HRT require
- Contractors must be citizens of the Republic of Croatia and are required to submit proof of citizenship
The online application form can be found here.
DORA 2019
To the delight of many long-term fans of Croatia at Eurovision, HRT announced the return of DORA for the 2019 season! Again, the 16 participating entries were selected by a jury consisting of representatives from major Croatian broadcasters, as well as critics, singers, songwriters and composers.
The final of DORA took place on the 16th of February, following two nights of programming from Opatija. On night one, there was a televised concert of ‘Chansons and Optaija Serenades’ by the Symphony Orchestra. On night two, HRT’s Jazz Orchestra performed ‘Dora classics’. The eventual winner was Roko Blažević with “The Dream”, who topped both the regional televote and jury vote on night three.
Unlike many national selections for Eurovision, the full studio recordings of the entries wasn’t revealed until after the final. Instead, snippets were released prior to the show. However, it is unclear whether the same will happen for the 2020 edition.
Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest
Croatia have competed in the contest 24 times as an independent nation. Previously, they competed as Yugoslavia alongside Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. As Yugoslavia, seven of the 27 entries were Croatian, including Riva’s “Rock Me”, which won the contest in 1989.
Croatia debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993, where they were represented by Put with “Don’t Ever Cry”. They finished in 15th place with 31 points. Despite winning DORA, Roko’s “The Dream” failed to make it out of the second semi-final in Tel Aviv, placing 14th in the semi-final with 64 points. However, 2020 is a new year, and we hope to see Croatia back in the final in Rotterdam!
Are you excited to see DORA return? Who, at this moment in time, would you like to see represent Croatia? Let us know in the comments below or at social media. Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates!
