As HRT prepares for the upcoming selection Dora 2026, one act has been disqualified from the national final. Karolina Ilić will no longer participate, with Gabrijel Ivić taking her spot.
🇭🇷 Karolina Ilić disqualified from Dora 2026
With the scheduled Croatian national final Dora 2026 only months away, HRT has announced the disqualification of one of the participants. Karolina Ilić was due to perform in the Eurovision 2026 national selection with her entry, “Breathe Her In’. However, HRT has revealed she is no longer eligible to participate.
Only artists who hold Croatian citizenship may contest the selection. Therefore, Karolina is in breach of the Dora 2026 regulations – Article 3, Paragraph 5. In line with the competition rules that retain artists on a reserve list – Gabrijel Ivić is promoted to the live shows with, “Light Up”.
🇭🇷 Format and competing artists of Dora 2026
- Alen Đuras – ‘From Ashes To Flame’
- Ananda – ‘Dora’
- Cold Snap – ‘Mucho Macho’
- Devin – ‘Over Me’
- Ema Bubić – ‘Vrijeme za nas’
- Fenksta – ‘Memento Mori’
- Fran Uccellini – ‘Ako bolje bude sutra’
- Gabrijel Ivić – ‘Light Up’
- Irma – ‘Ni traga’
- Ivan Sever – ‘Crying Eyes’
- Jasmina Makota – ‘Higher’
- Kandžija – ‘3 ujutro’
- Lana Mandarić – ‘Tama’
- Lara Demarin – ‘Mantra’
- LELEK – ‘Andromeda’
- Lima Len – ‘Raketa’
- Marko Kutlić – ‘Neotuđivo’
- Noelle – ‘Uninterrupted’
- Ritam Noir – ‘Profumi di mare’
- Sergej – ‘Scream’
- Stela Rade – ‘Nema te’
- ToMa – ‘Ledina’
- Toni Sky – ‘O ne!’
- Zevin – ‘My Mind’
Additionally, should an act have to drop out for any reason, before the live shows, four reserve acts have also been selected. These are as follows:
- Dorian Stipčić – ‘Loved’
- Gabriela Braičić (Bria) – ‘Soho’
- Vanessa Kralj – ‘Tišina prije kiše’
Dora 2026 is set to commence in February with three live shows – two Semi-Finals and one Grand Final. The contest will move to the HRT studios in Zagreb. The winner will represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 taking place in Vienna, Austria next May.
Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest
Croatia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest as an independent country since 1993, and their only absences were in 2014 and 2015. Croatia are currently enjoying a newfound success in the contest following a run of poor results in the 2010s. In 2024 it was the turn of Baby Lasagna to represent the Balkan nation with the entry, ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’. During the Malmö contest, Baby Lasagna achieved Croatia’s best result in the contest with second place, scoring 547 points.
Earlier this year, Marko Bošnjak won Dora 2025 with his entry ‘Poison Cake’. Unfortunately it failed to make the Basel final, achieving 12th place in the first Semi-Final.
Who should represent Croatia at Eurovision 2026? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra.bsky.social on Bluesky, @escxtra on Instagram, @escxtra on TikTok and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify for the latest music from your favourite Eurovision acts. As well as YouTube to see interviews and reactions to the latest Eurovision news.
