Croatia: Lelek wins Dora 2026 with "Andromeda"
After three shows were held this week for Croatia's Dora 2026, we now have a winner. Once the votes were in it was official that Lelek had won with "Andromeda"
Croatia now joins the list of countries who have selected their Eurovision 2026 representative.
The Final of Dora 2026, Croatia's national selection process for Eurovision, has concluded. 16 acts took to the stage in hopes of collecting enough votes for the win.
After the voting took place, and the votes were counted and confirmed, it was Lelek who took home the victory with "Andromeda."
"Andromeda" was written by Filip Lacković, Lazar Pajić, Tomislav Roso, and Zorja Pajić.
Dora 2026 – Final
Tonight's show was held at HRT Studios, Prisavlje in Zagreb, and was hosted by Barbara Kolar, Duško Čurlić, Ivan Vukušić, and Iva Šulentić.
Lelek will take the stage for Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 on Tuesday, 12 May during Semi-final 1, and looks to bring them back to the Grand Final.
Lelek
Lelek is a musical group from Croatia that combines rich Croatian traditions and modern pop to create their unique sound. Their music also contains influences and stories rooted in folk songs, with a goal to preserve and re-interpret tradition in a contemporary context.
The group consists of five members: Inka Večerina Perušić, Judita Štorga, Lara Brtan, Korina Olivia Rogić, and Marina Ramljak. They use their voices to create harmonies that showcase their vocals and the magical essence their songs bring.
Releasing their first song in 2024, the group has gained some traction in the Croatian music scene. In 2025, Lelek competed at Dora for the first time, taking 4th place with the song "The Soul of my Soul," which was their second single.
Dora 2026
Dora 2026 was the national selection process Croatia used to determine their Eurovision 2026 representative. There were 24 songs in this year's edition, with three shows taking place; two Semi-finals, and the Final:
- Semi-final 1: 12 February 2026 - The first 12 songs competed. 8 advanced to the Final, determined 100% via public vote
- Semi-final 2: 13 February 2026 - The remaining 12 songs competed. 8 more advanced to the Final, determined 100% via public vote
- Final: 15 February 2026 - The 16 songs that advanced from the Semi-finals compete. The winner was determined by 50% public vote, 25% regional jury, and 25% international jury.
All three shows took place at HRT Studios, Prisavlje in Zagreb and were hosted by Barbara Kolar, Duško Čurlić, Ivan Vukušić, and Iva Šulentić.
Croatia in Eurovision
Croatia has participated in Eurovision Song Contest 30 times since their debut in 1993. The first victory for Croatia in Eurovision is yet to come. The best result is from 2024 where Baby Lasagna finished 2nd with "Rim Tim Tagi Dim."
Since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004, Croatia has qualified for the Grand Final 9 out of 19 times. They withdrew from Eurovision 2014 and 2015 due to financial limitations and poor results in the contest.
