HRT, the Croatian national broadcaster, has announced that prearations for Dora 2021 have kicked off in Croatia with the song submission window set to open on 26 October.

Dora 2021 will be held on 13 February in Opatija, Croatia. The Croatian national broadcaster has 4 different scearios on the table in order to hold the competition, very much like how the EBU is preparing for Eurovision 2021. HRT will select the format in accordance to the pandemic restrictions.

The submission window for songwriters, composers and artists to submit their entries in order to partake in Dora 2021 will opend on 26 October and close on 10 December.

The 2021 Croatian entry and act will be determined via a combined televoting/jury deliberation.

Mr. Kazimir Bacic (HRT General Director) says:

Dora is a festival that confirms that HRT knows how to make a top spectacle and realize an  extremely demanding project and production, with world class people and equipment.  Dora also  promotes local pop music and continue to support Croatian musicians in these difficult times and pandemic.

Ms. Ursula Tolj (Dora 2021 Project Manager) says:

What is certain is that the competition for song entries will be announced on the HRT website on October 26 and will be open until December 10, 2020 – and I believe that this year we will continue to increase the total number of songs submitted

Just as the Eurovision Song Contest will not be canceled, neither will Dora. Croatia is participating in the competition and continues the tradition of selecting its representative via a national competition.

Croatia in Eurovision

Croatia debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 with the six member group Put and their entry Don’t ever cry, and is yet to win the event. The Balkan country’s best results in the competition were achieved in 1996 (Maja Blagdan) and 1999 (Doris Dragovic), when it placed 4th in the Grand Final.

The country has competed 25 times in the contest and has not been very lucky in the competition in recent years, with its last top 10 finish in 2001.

Damir Kedzo was set to represent Croatia at Eurovision 2020 with his entry Divlji Vjetre after winning Dora 2020.