Croatia: Dora Expected to Take Place on February 16

Croatian media reports that the final of Dora 2019 is expected to take place on February 16, but the host city is yet to be decided.

Jutarnji List reports that HRT will hold the final of Dora 2019 on the 16th of February. According to the newspaper sources at the Croatian national broadcaster the date of the final has been determined, but the host city for the competition has not been selected.

HRT is currently determening whether the show will be returning to Opatija, or if Zagreb should host the competition. Opatija hosted the contest when it was first held in 1993. The show would not be held at the Kvarner hotel which used to host the show, but in a new arena which would replicate the feeling of the hotel. If not the HRT studios in Zagreb would likely host the show.

According to local media reports earlier in October, HRT is working with Opatija to host the 2019 edition of the competition, with the show scheduled to take place over three nights. Each night of Dora will feature a different style of music, the breakdown of each night is as follows:

• Night One – Chansons and Optaija Serenades with the Symphony Orchestra
• Night Two – Dora classics
• Night Three – Entries for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.

Dora was previously used to select every Croatian entry from the country’s debut in 1993 until 2011. HRT cancelled the selection after 2011, citing Croatia’s poor results in the last ten years and decreasing public interest. All Croatian entries since then have been chosen through internal selection.

Croatia was represented by Franka at the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal. With her song “Crazy”, she finished in 17th place in the semi-final.

Source: Jutarnji List