Karolina Ilić, a talented singer, faced a setback in her musical journey as she was disqualified from the Dora 2026 competition. The reason behind her disqualification was a technicality: she is not a Croatian citizen, which violates the competition's rules (Article 3, Paragraph 5). This rule stipulates that only Croatian citizens are eligible to participate, a decision that has sparked debate among the public and media alike.
As a result, Gabrijel Ivić, the first reserve artist, will now take her place, performing the song 'Light Up' at Dora 2026. This change has been made in accordance with the competition's rules, ensuring fairness and adherence to the established criteria.
The updated lineup of 24 artists and their songs is as follows:
- Alen Đuras – 'From Ashes to Flame'
- Ananda – 'Dora'
- Cold Snap – 'Mucho Macho'
- Devin – 'Over Me'
- Ema Bubić – 'Vrijeme za nas' (Time for us)
- Fenksta – 'Memento mori'
- Fran Uccellini – 'Ako bolje bude sutra' (If it’s better tomorrow)
- Gabrijel Ivić – 'Light up'
- Irma – 'Ni traga' (No trace)
- Ivan Sever – 'Crying Eyes'
- Jasmina Makota – 'Higher'
- Kandžija – '3 ujutro' (3 a.m.)
- Lana Mandarić – 'Tama' (Darkness)
- Lara Demarin – 'Mantra'
- LELEK – 'Andromeda'
- Lima Len – 'Raketa' (Rocket)
- Marko Kutlić – 'Neotuđivo' (Inalienable)
- Noelle – 'Uninterrupted'
- Ritam Noir – 'Profumi di mare' (Scents of the sea)
- Sergej – 'Scream'
- Stela Rade – 'Nema te' (You’re gone)
- ToMa – 'Ledina' (Meadow)
- Tony Sky – 'O ne!' (Oh no!)
- Zevin – 'My Mind'
The three artists and songs in the backup list are:
- Dorian Stipčić – 'Loved'
- Gabriela Braičić (Bria) – 'Soho'
- Vanessa Kralj – 'Tišina prije kiše' (Silence before the rain)
Dora 2026 will take place in February in the studios of HRT in Zagreb, featuring two semi-finals and a final. The winner will represent Croatia in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.
Marko Bošnjak represented Croatia at Eurovision 2025 with the song 'Poison Cake'. He finished 12th in Semi-Final 1 with a total of 28 points, missing out on the Grand Final.
The Eurovision Song Contest holds a special place in Croatian history, as the country made its debut in 1993 as an independent nation. Croatia's best result came in 2024 when Baby Lasgana finished 2nd in Malmö with the song 'Rim Tim Tagi Dim', scoring an impressive 547 points, including 12 points from the juries in Cyprus and Serbia, and 9 sets of 12 points from the public vote.
This disqualification has sparked discussions about the fairness of competition rules and the potential impact on artists' careers. It remains to be seen how this decision will affect Karolina Ilić's future endeavors, but it has undoubtedly raised questions about the criteria for participation in such competitions.
