Photos: HRT

We get a double dose of Balkan music this week, with Croatia also selecting their Eurovision act. Dora 2025 continued with semi-final 2 on Friday evening.

There were another 12 artists competing in this second show. By the end of the evening, a third of them had to pack up and go home, whilst eight moved on to the grand final.

During the show, we saw Duško Čurlić and Barbara Kolar as hosts. Zlata Mück Sušec will be with the stars in the greenroom.

Dora 2025: Semi-final 2

The results were entirely in the public’s hands. They choose eight acts to advance to Sunday’s grand final.

Qualifiers

  • Laurakojapjeva – “NPC”
  • Marko Škugor – “Šta da Boga molim ja”
  • Fenksta – “Extra”
  • Filomena – “Strong”
  • Luka Nižetić – “Južina”
  • Marko Bošnjak – “Poison Cake”
  • Petar Brkljačić – “Kraj”
  • Ogenj – “Daj, daj”

Non-qualifiers

  • Marin Jurić-Čivro – “Gorjelo je”
  • Supersonic Trio – “Animal”
  • Irma – “Enigma”
  • Ananda – “Lies Lay Cold”

The contest returns on Sunday evening for the grand final, where Croatia’s entry for Eurovision 2025 will be chosen.

What are your thoughts on semi-final 2 of Dora 2025? Will any of these acts be our eventual winner? Let us know in the comments.

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Vjera Brdar
Vjera Brdar
1 month ago

I really don’t get all the Ogenj love. It’s almost a carbon copy of RTTD, especially the stage performance. Also theres not much of a song, bar the hypnotic tamburitzza instrumental. Too repetetive.

esc_fl
esc_fl
1 month ago

My winner for Dora is Alessandra singing Mama SC, ICONIC

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

All of my favorites are in yay! Looking forward to Sunday.
(Tonight for me it’s gonna be German final where EVERYBODY can vote and then Portugese semi2)
Thank you Dora for such surprise- Alessandra doing Let 3! It’s still in my head all morning maly podly psychopat, krokodilsky psychopat , mama idem u raaaaaat…..
Let3 needs to come back to Dora sooon ….
Is Baby Lasagna joining on Sunday? I know he’s touring Europe these days….

Alex
Alex
1 month ago

For me, Luka is the best choice this year. They can just copy and paste the staging. I only wished the chorus had more oomph to make it stronger.

Amaho
Amaho
1 month ago

Am I the only one obsessed with Luka’s song and performance? I honestly think it would get Croatia the best result out of any other song in Dora.

Kara Zmatic
Kara Zmatic
1 month ago
Reply to  Amaho

Nope. Not just you. Eurovision is about being catchy and memorable. Luka ticked both boxes. None of the others fulfilled that requirement.

Gerry Moore
Gerry Moore
1 month ago

I hope Marko Bosnjak doesn’t end winning

Kara Zmatic
Kara Zmatic
1 month ago
Reply to  Gerry Moore

Agreed. Initially, after hearing the studio version, I thought “ok, this is something cool, a bit different.” BUT, after seeing the performance, it ended up being odd and very cringe-like. Hoping for Luka to win. His stage presence was strong, the vocals sounded like the studio track, and it was sung in Croatian (a big plus for me).

GojoSatoru
GojoSatoru
1 month ago

Despite Alessandra performing Queen of The Kings quite statically in her Dora performance, I like this more than her Eurovision performance. In her Eurovision performance, she felt like a performer who did a performance style they’re not comfortable with and it felt like every move and every decision was made for her. She was like a puppet on strings, while singing about female empowerment. Being a puppet on strings is everything but empowering. In this Dora performance, she felt way freer. This logical, as she’s not competing for anything, but still. She also felt more like an artist who made… Read more »

Robert
Robert
1 month ago

How THE F is Ananda not in the final and 2 religious songs are? What the actual F

Teddi
Teddi
1 month ago
Reply to  Robert

It’s only televote semi finals, and those two artists have bigger fan base

Robert
Robert
1 month ago
Reply to  Teddi

Fan base = family and friends. Those 2 artists are no names in Croatia. Ananda is also tbh but her song was way stronger.

Vjera Brdar
Vjera Brdar
1 month ago

Four of the best/least crimge performances went through…
Marko S.
Luka N.
Fenksta
Petar B.

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

Now I’m done with Dora for tonight. Mu top 3 are IN!
Changing to the Pezma and wishing you all …. tadammm dobre noche!
Maly podly psychopat lalalaa
Loved the collaboration Alessandra/Let3 yay!
Dobre noche!

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

EXTRA!!! is in the final))))

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

Omg Alessandra doing Let3!!!!! Whaaat?!?! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!
maly pidly psychopat!!!!
The colobration les expected EVER!!!! AMAZING!!!!!!

Amigo
Amigo
1 month ago

Alessssandra performing Mama Š? is the beat thing tonight! She’s amazing! ??

tomato
tomato
1 month ago

Alessandra performing mama sc wasnt on my bingo today

Angelo
Angelo
1 month ago

The 2nd SF sucks. The Dora winner comes from the 1st SF and their name is EOT. They are second to none this year!

tomato
tomato
1 month ago

Ogenj daj daj ftw

Eve
Eve
1 month ago
Reply to  tomato

Daj daj is amazing! Straight to the spotify list of mine)

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago

Croatia: Thank you so much to Dora, I have enjoyed every performance of the SFs. 🙂

Serbia: I have now switched to watching Serbia’s NF, which has already seen songs 1-4 performed. I realise that this programme is taking place in difficult times, so the broadcaster decided to reschedule for tonight instead of tomorrow. (This apparently caught some by surprise.)
If there isn’t a live discussion for Serbia then we can continue posting here, I’ll just start commenting with the name of the country first to be clear what I’m posting about.
(Stuff happens.)

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

Aha, false alarm, Serbia is covered now in a separate post.

Eve
Eve
1 month ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I see you there Purple! They opened live discussion a bit late but there we are!)

Vjera Brdar
Vjera Brdar
1 month ago

I actually fell asleep after Marin…and woke up just in time for poison cake. Oh the horror.
Let me rewind.

Amigo
Amigo
1 month ago

Ok. Ogenj is the Winner for me. I felt I was at a concert during their performance. It Did not feel Like a narional final performance. It gave me more than that.

Teddi
Teddi
1 month ago

Omg! Marko and Ogenj blew me away!

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

Songs 3,10,12 (Fenksta, Marko Bosnjak, Ogenj) all the way for me!

Eve
Eve
1 month ago
Reply to  Eve

Such a shame I can not vote tonight like in Germany ….
My top 3 in cristal clear

John
John
1 month ago

Cake not fully baked. Daj, Daj much better option.

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

Ooook and then Daj Daj do deliver!!!

Amigo
Amigo
1 month ago

Marko had a nice idea. I’m not saying it was not executed well. I think There’s a lot of room for it to improve in case he indeed wins. His vocal was also shaky during those high notes But That’s something that can be fixed in the finals.

Let’s see What Ogenj has to bring.

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

Omg Marko!!!! The look, the style, performance! Sang good, song is catchy! It’s our favorite (and yes I’m saying this for our whole community in here…)
Ready for downvotes from randoms but I don’t care. I know what we, eurofans of wiwi, likes)

Teddi
Teddi
1 month ago

LUKA NAILED IT

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago

Marko – Okay, yep, that’s winning this semi, haha. So theatrical, it’s totally Eurovision, and it’s a dark sequel to Latvia’s “Cake to Bake” as well. Does the song have a more deeper meaning than it looks? Perhaps it does, but it doesn’t really matter to the audience.

tomato
tomato
1 month ago

Poison cake kinda cringe. Flop for me

Amigo
Amigo
1 month ago

Luka had the most original song that was staged well. Interesting. Is there a chance Croatia will like this the most?

Matt
Matt
1 month ago
Reply to  Amigo

I agree.. He was brilliant

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

Pezma has started. We are not giving the live discussion topic yet. As for me I’m watching both on the 2 screens my god , so crazy….
Poison cake GOOOO
Trendseter goooo!

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago
Reply to  Eve

Yeah it’s possible Pezma might be overlooked tonight because of the late rescheduling. Keep posting here and maybe Wiwibloggs will notice 😀

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago

Luka – Ooo, is this song about food allergies? How unique. There’s a lot going on here; it’s a great visual spectacle. But, I have forgotten the melody already, which is a bad sign. Nice men though 🙂

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago

Irma – Well, that was interesting. A big slow song with a power vocal required. The vocal was not in tune at the start, but it was a strong recovery at the end, bravo.

tomato
tomato
1 month ago

Fenksta surprised me, in a good wayy

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago

Someone should mashup the Dora jingle with “Tutta L’Italia” 😀

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago

Supersonic Trio: That’s red outfit is very similar to one I have. I’m actually wearing red trousers right now. I used to rock a wallet chain too. I think the song “Animal” is a bit lazy though (and it’s not very convincing either), but thank you for the outfit nostalgia 🙂

Eve
Eve
1 month ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

Color-wise they killed it! Red trousers (like yours) and golden suit (classic!) This is how we love our Eurovision)
Still the song is missing something….
Still Extra for me…,)

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

Tutta gold (the drummer) detected!

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago

Fenksta, pure rap! Wow, that’s really brave for a Eurovision National competition. Nice to hear the video-game sounding melodies in the background, and the backing vocals were there too. This would be a shock winner if it won, but I’d understand the appeal.

Eve
Eve
1 month ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

It shocked me in a very very good way! Didn’t expect anything like that-performed so good!

Jonas
Jonas
1 month ago

Fenksta is better than I was expecting,

Eve
Eve
1 month ago
Reply to  Jonas

Say it!
And I like that all four songs are so different . And none actually bad. You just choose one you like the most but still enjoy the rest .

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

I like song nr 3! Good friday vibes!
Go Extra!

Jonas
Jonas
1 month ago

Marko. I like it, but I’d like it so much more with a live orchestra. Maybe it belongs in the 1990s.

Jonas
Jonas
1 month ago

I no longer iron. Not that I ever did much anyway. Life is too short.

Vjera Brdar
Vjera Brdar
1 month ago
Reply to  Jonas

Welcome to the club.
I mean, what the f*** was that?

Jonas
Jonas
1 month ago

By the way, last night I suggested that the performances were pre-recorded… but it was actually Serbia I was thinking of. I am an idiot.

Jonas
Jonas
1 month ago

Dobra ve?er!

Eve
Eve
1 month ago
Reply to  Jonas

Dobre vecher Jonas tutta l’Italiaaaaa

Jonas
Jonas
1 month ago
Reply to  Eve

I still wake up in the night, shrieking HEY

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago
Reply to  Jonas

Off topic: Oh I finally had time to watch the live Gabry Ponte performance back today. You’re right, they really threw that together! I enjoyed it. That song is still one of my favourite 2025 moments so far, haha.

Jonas
Jonas
1 month ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I might have possibly enjoyed it more if that song hadn’t been drilled into my head all week. I really hope it is retired for next year, I won’t cope if not.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 month ago

Good evening Croatia.

Eve
Eve
1 month ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

Good evening , Purple

Vjera Brdar
Vjera Brdar
1 month ago

Borefest tonight, if you ask me. Luka’s song is cute but that’s it. Not ESC cute tho.

Eve
Eve
1 month ago

Dobry vecher) I’m getting prepared . Hoping for a bit less of ballads tonight and a bit more upbeat songs and maybe some Croatian dances ^^