Call it a Japanese kimono or a Korean hanbok. Either way Nina Kraljic’s Eurovision 2016 dress is fabulous! The gown features the same grey-and-black tree pattern which she sported at Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam in April. This time it’s bigger, bolder and features large frills that almost look militaristic — Nina is ready to do battle, no doubt! (Though some of our bloggers think she looks like a flying squirrel).
She’s singing about a lighthouse, so naturally the LED floor featured waves. The LED wall started as the sea and later transformed into a sea of stars. Overall this came off as dark and somewhat underwhelming. But perhaps her dress will light up in the second rehearsal.
Vocally she was as stellar as ever and clearly isn’t intimidated by this massive stage.
Croatia: First rehearsal at Eurovision 2016
Nina Kraljic’s “Lighthouse”: Reviews and Reactions
Read all of our Eurovision rehearsal reviews
Photo: Thomas Hanses Eurovision.tv (EBU)
Is she! a a lesbian?
I don’t know why everyone is hating on the kimono, this is exactly what I expect Nina to perform in and I’ve been praying she cut the other side of her hair, the A-Symmetry wasn’t working before.
I agree that the backing singers NEED to be hidden and a bit more of a punch in the background visuals but she could stand there with a black screen and wear a potato sack and she’d still be miles ahead of most of the entries this year.
OMG did that coat just eat NINA ?!?!
Can’t wait to see the 18-kilo dress… She’ll be great!!
According to oddschecker, Armenia had the most impressive rehearsal today, strong improvement in odds. Followed by Hungary: slight odds improvement. Finally my 2 favourite songs started to rise.
All other rehearsing country drifted (Croatia, The Netherlands, Russia) or did not move.
Well, I jumped off the Lighthouse winner bandwagon after the Amsterdam pre-party, and it looks like they keep prove me right. Another drift in the odds today. I still like the song more than the top favourites.
Best rehearsals today
Armenia, The Netherlands, Greece
Good Rusia, Hungay, Moldova
Not good Croatia, San Marino , Finland
The Croatian delegation definitely has to work on this and change something. The song and her voice are good, but (especially in this semi) it’s important to have good staging, which as of now is a total mess (dress, performance, background).
Am I the only one who thinks that the backing vocalists should stay in the background? I always imagined this song performed with Nina on the stage only.
I really want this to qualify… :/
I think we have a serious contender for the Barbara Dex award. That’s the strangest creation I ever seen.
As for the performance she sure be sliding down those betting polls now. Though I hope she qualifier, the song is good.
Remember what carola wor in 2006 to sing her invincible, she only got 5th position, now croatian representative wants to cover whole stage with seaweed like thing bigger version of Loreen costume
Remember what carol wor in 2006 to sing her invincible, she only got 5th position, now croatian representative wants to cover whole stage with seaweed like thing bigger version of Loreen costume
Oh my god hahahahaha why does she has to wear that big thing has the over produced light house gone to her head unbelievable
There was a bad moment with her voice in this rehearsal but still is awesome
This is so artistic, she looks amazing! A perfect entry
@tween
that was me, i’m a fan of Malta, Croatia and Israel this year, and i’m now reminding people to vote for Nina and Ira, i vote for Ira myself from the Netherlands, but maybe i’ll drop a vote for Nina in as well 🙂
@Nicky91
Ira will qualify for sure, your Malta will be in final.
Croatia will need some help..
omg that change-dress..again.. is just ruining this entry, very cheap way to catch attention and stand out. It won’t work at all.
Why in an article about Croatia there’s comments about Hovi Star and Ira Losco? looooool
@Marc
well i’m still praying for Ira, can’t wait to see her staging tomorrow, i think it’s gonna be one big team performance, also something different 🙂
Nina is unique, Ira is just flawless in the lower bits of her song, and she has Molly in her team, really amazing, and Hovi is just adorable and a good singer 🙂
i think i might vote for Ira though, but i just hope Nina and Ira will get enough votes to qualify 🙂
I want Nina to win SO MUCH but won’t make any predictions before I see the shining dress.The song is amazing but she needs a slaying outfit & that’s a fact.
@Nicky91
I prefer Lighthouse over Walk on water as a song, but we have to be realistic and this entry is getting worst and the overall for some reason is not working. It will struggle I think but can qualify for sure, running position is hurting her as well.
And I have Croatia at num 5 in this semi after Netherlands, Estonia, Iceland and Hungary but this is not looking as it should. We’ll see.
@georgekirkas
yeah, Nina will be the winner, so let’s already make some plans to throw a big party for our lighthouse queen 🙂
@georgekirkas
🙂 🙂 🙂
@Nicky91
I’m with you, Nina and Hovi are the best!
@Nicky91
🙂 🙂 🙂
@OR
Hovi Star is also good, and something different from the other pop songs
so Hovi and Nina for me this year 🙂 🙂 🙂
@Nicky91
Dont insult other singers or songs please, Hovi star is good too and a lot of other songs is also good… so please……
@Marc
well it will qualify easily, i will vote for Nina, goodbye Ira but Croatia needs the votes some more, as i want the best song to win this year 🙂
#TeamNina’s Lighthouse #Zagreb2017 #TeamCroatia-Winner2016
so will all people please vote for Nina, she’s unique and different from the rest of those crappy pop songs, nobody is better than my favourite Nina 🙂
Funny to see reactions, that dress is only for rehealsals, real one arrives later in stocholm for second rehearsal…
This song is dropping and dropping in the odds.
I think this will might not qualify being performed between Hungary, Netherlands and Armenia.
It will be tough for Croatia.
That dress is creepy!
Yaaass Nina serving royalty
This song will score massively with the juries for sure 🙂 It is great and it has a MESSAGE:-) the wiwibloggs people obviously have no clue… it starts off as a “dark” song and then the message is uplifting and i think that the costume change might work well for this one 🙂 It is by far one of the most original songs of the year (which cannot be said for Austria, France, Russia or many others).
@Minna
that’s exactly why i love it, it’s not an ordinary pop song, but something different
this must be the winner, any other country just has no competition for Nina
she’ll slay and prove you haters wrong
@Samira
no i’m from the Netherlands, and it’s pathetic such things because Nina is going to be the winner i hope, there isn’t any other song that is this good 🙂
For all the hype around this song, I think Croatia could be the first upset of the contest. In my opinion, this is a voice and nothing more. Song is bland and not gonna give a hell of show on stage, now you see that horrid dress… I fear the whole concept is going to be wrong, but we will see.
@Samira
i live in Israel, and i sigh this blog to support the amazing israeli singer Hovi star but i also love Croatia very much and from the favorites sates to win i want her to win 🙂
Horrible dress and underwhelming staging (dress change, really??) I like Nina and i hope she will qualify but i have my doubts now after seeing this…
@Nicky91
every one need luck to make it to the final 🙂
I honestly expected more from the dress because it’s too complicated for this song but won’t judge until I see it in motion.Dress change is also a bit Tricky to pull off but we’ll see.
Love it. Love it!
12pts from UK
@Samira
You are wrong, I live in Greece and Croatia’s song is my favorite this year. Also, Nicky91 lives in The Netherlands, not Croatia. Just accept that many people love the song.
Are Or, Ben, Nicky, Zagreb 2017 and Grace all live in Croatia . Because they 24 h a day write comments with huge support for Croatia at this wiwiblogg.
@OR
well Douwe doesn’t need luck, he’s a good singer and he never fails to impress 🙂
Croatia and Germany are real contenders for the Barbara Dex Award this year!
Extravagant and beautiful. Great to see she didn’t go for something classic and boring. Go, Nina, you rock!!!
Croatia says hello to the Barbara Dex Award this year
Something happened yesterday… I got goosebumps whilst listening to Lighthouse, making Croatia the second country this year to give me goosebumps right after Iceland, which is why they’re my 1st and 2nd places xD I wouldn’t mind if this won at all!
Nina is dressed like the most fabulous neck injury of all time!
NINA have the same voice as the singer of the Cranberries , i miss those voices!!
Go NINA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Kspj3OO0s
She is great..and unique go Ninaa