HRT have moved the dates for the Dora national selection back one day, with the semifinals now broadcast on 2nd and 3rd March, with the final taking place on 4th March.
This year, the shows will be staged in the Crystal Hall of the Kvarner Hotel in Opatija. Opatija, a pretty coastal town on the North Adriatic, finds itself once again the host of the Dora contest, and has already proved itself to be a vibrant venue for the national selection.
There are several familiar faces amongst the semifinalists, including former Dora participants who have won the national selection and represented Croatia at previous Eurovision Song Contests. Danijela Martinovic was the lead singer of Magazin back in 1995, when the band teamed up with Lidija to sing Nostalgija in Dublin, coming sixth. She returned as a solo artist in 1998, coming fifth in Birmingham with Neka mi ne svane. Her former group Magazin is also back this year, but with a different line-up.
Claudia Beni won the Dora back in 2003, and represented Croatia in Latvia with Vi�e nisam tvoja, coming 15th.
As Croatia finished in 11th place at the Kyiv Eurovision last year, they just miss out on a secure place in this year's final. The winner of Dora 2006 will therefore have to sing in the semifinal in Athens on 18th May.
