Mia Dimsic Croatia Rehearsal Eurovision 2022 Guilty Pleasure
Photo: EBU / NATHAN REINDS

Ever since 2019, Croatia has selected their Eurovision song and artist through its national selection show Dora. And the trend continues for Eurovision 2023, as broadcaster HRT has confirmed that the show will once again decide the entry. As HRT intensively prepare to find the perfect artist and the perfect song to send in U.K. next year in May, they’ve shared some of the basic rules and the all-important submissions deadline.

As you’d expect, submitted songs cannot be performed or publicly posted anywhere before the competition. Artists can decide what language to perform in, but all of the participants must be citizens of the Republic of Croatia. The application form can be filled in on the HRT website https://www.hrt.hr/prijave/dora. It will remain open until the 20th of November 2023.

An expert jury will evaluate the songs and decide which of them will take part in the national competition. Whoever wins will need to work closely with the broadcaster. The rules stipulate that HRT will have complete control over the staging of the winning song at Eurovision, including the choreography, the use of props and pyrotechnics, the costume designer, and the language in which the winning song will be performed.

The point about the costume designer is of particular interest. You’ll recall that in November 2021, Croatia’s Head of Delegation was axed amid reports she’d overlooked the broadcaster’s in-house designer.

According to Jutarnji, the decision stemmed from the fact that the former HoD allegedly bypassed HRT’s costume designer Natasa Svekler when choosing Albina’s costume for Rotterdam. She instead went with Juraj Zigman, who isn’t affiliated with the broadcaster.

The paper also cited “unforeseen expenses” on her HRT credit card during Eurovision, which the paper said included paying for lunch for the team at a hotel and the purchase of overalls for Albina’s dancers for the red carpet event “with the intention that our delegation be fashionably harmonised.”

The national selection is expected to take place in February and will be streamed on HRT channel and also on HRT’s website www.hrt.hr

Back in 2022, Croatia sent Mia Dimšić with the enchanting song “Guilty Pleasure”. She performed in the First Semi-Final, singing in both English and Croatian. The song failed to qualify for the grand final but Mia’s sweet personality and gorgeous voice won her plenty of new fans anyway.

Who would you like to see performing in Dora 2023? Let us know in the comments below.

29 Comments
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Romaric
Romaric
1 year ago

Please : Manntra, Lorena Bucan, Indira Levak, Damir Kedzo, Nina Kralijc or Colonia !

Matt
Matt
1 year ago

My guilty pleasure for next year would be to see Feminnem again in Eurovision..

The girls are back stronger than ever, with amazing two new songs.. Love them..

Hrvatska
Hrvatska
1 year ago

Mia was vocally excellent during Eurovision, the problem is mainly the Croatian public broadcaster’s approach to Eurovision, that there are no funds and Croatia itself cannot find a recipe, the fifth defeat is not an option but for the second time in a row it was close to the final

Vivian
Vivian
1 year ago

But will Croatia actually select the right winner for once?

Denis
Denis
1 year ago
Reply to  Vivian

I thought they all are pretty worthy..

tono
tono
1 year ago
Reply to  Vivian

I sincerely hope that HRT will give a chance to a very succesfull artist back to 1983.Daniel Popovi?, who submitted his song this year.

Yush
Yush
1 year ago

Bernarda!!!!!!! She must win this year

Denis
Denis
1 year ago
Reply to  Yush

If she could get the audience to love her half as much as the juries love her then yes..

Polegend Godnova
1 year ago
Reply to  Denis

her attempts have all been hella dated pop songs. she should try something else, especially with the voice she has.

Denis
Denis
1 year ago

Dora is the best selection of the Balkans and one of the best overall. The last two editions were strong. I just think problem is the songs, winners included are unremarkable. Not bad but others are so much stronger that you simply forget Croatia was there. You just know they will struggle to qualify every year

Yoo
Yoo
1 year ago
Reply to  Denis

The best on Balkans, and one of the overall? .. No? The only thing that I’m really happy about Dora is that it is in Opatija and not in capital or some other bigger city. ( Just like Spain this and next year), and comparing to Belarussian, Moldovan, Belgian (when they had it) and some others national finals, Dora really look modern, with big stage and big led screens. But corrupt jury, suspicious televotes, and and very few songs in the mother tongue can’t be a sign for one of the best. I don’t like swedish Melo, the 95% songs… Read more »

Denis
Denis
1 year ago
Reply to  Yoo

The lack of native language songs is why I like it. It makes Croatia look modern and 2022 as opposed to some traditional country still thinking fans are dying to hear instruments no one else is playing. No one in Croatia really listens to traditional any more..

Yoo
Yoo
1 year ago
Reply to  Denis

Who said that it must be traditional?
From this year, the best croatian song for me is ,, Javi trebaš li me” by Eni Juriši? and Matija Cvek, still it doesn’t have anything Croatian, Balkan or Slavic traditional. It have soul and doesn’t sound/look plastic.
Just don’t need to sing in english to be a modern or cool.

Polegend Godnova
1 year ago
Reply to  Denis

dora used to be the best selection from its inception until 2010… but the latest comeback editions have been a shadow of its past glory. serbia’s selections have been much stronger.

Chris
Chris
1 year ago

I think the last years Croatia had modern songs, but I missed the Croatian music in it and it was too pop generic for me

Jofty
Jofty
1 year ago

Was not initially on my radar but having seen Mia give a standout performance in Amsterdam I thought she had a good chance of qualifying. Some of the charm seemed to have gone from it in the semi and it all looked a little awkward as opposed to fun. Though I hate saying it, I thought the Croatian bit was distracting rather than enhancing.

Midnight Gold
Midnight Gold
1 year ago

Marko Bosnjak was by far the best option available, they’ve only got themselves to blame for not qualifying.

Samira
Samira
1 year ago

Croatia’s selection is fine and has solid songs. They should choose better winners though, it’s the only thing holding them back. Croatia’s representatives since 2019 were all not the best in their respective years, especially 2021. Tick tock was a hilariously pathetic song

Denis
Denis
1 year ago

It was a worse shame not qualifying in 2021.
2022 was just decent.

Esc addict
Esc addict
1 year ago
Reply to  Denis

I confirm

Denis
Denis
1 year ago
Reply to  Denis

It was nice. But that’s probably it. It was pretty clear from the start it would struggle.

Esc addict
Esc addict
1 year ago

Esc 2022 has unfortunately been the most disappointing in years for many MANY reasons, and this is one of them.

Esc addict
Esc addict
1 year ago

Guilty pleasure was really cute and well performed, Tick Tock was really effective and very well performed, compared to some of qualifiers coming from these years, so I hope Croatia won’t loose their motivation because they have great entries which are not enough awarded imo. Keep the faith, you have a great potential, your perseverance and your consistency will pay off, good luck Croatia.

Colin
Colin
1 year ago

Another novelty for 2023 is that Dora songs will be presented alongside their music videos. Making Croatia another country, alongside Finland, Estonia, and Czech Republic, where visuals will automatically play some part. I think it’s a good idea!

Esc addict
Esc addict
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

Music videos often don’t reflect what the performers will do on stage so it’s not decisive and sometimes misleading but it’s always good for the performers to be presented in the best possible way so to be paired with visuals, the acts seem more complete like this. It’s a choice cause to present the act totally naked without artifices has advantages too, no bad surprises on the vocal capacity for example. To be paired with visuals is good but could be a disadvantage because knowing the eurofans if the staging is less powerful than the visuals in the music video… Read more »

Esc addict
Esc addict
1 year ago
Reply to  Esc addict

I didn’t remember what they did ? I didn’t follow the Maltese NF this year.

Esc addict
Esc addict
1 year ago
Reply to  Esc addict

Like in ESCZ? Which I found cool this year.

Esc addict
Esc addict
1 year ago
Reply to  Esc addict

Ok my mistake, then I confused with the NF itself and how the acts were presented in it.

123
123
1 year ago
Reply to  Esc addict

Dora won’t have that. Artists have to send music videos to the broadcaster on their own. In fact, they can send music videos or just lyrics videos.