Croatia puts its money where Dora is: HRT reveals its Eurovision 2026 budget
Croatia has done the unthinkable. It has published numbers. Real ones.
HRT has unveiled its financial plan for 2026, and tucked neatly inside it is the figure that always gets eurofans leaning closer to the screen: €959,000 for Dora and the Eurovision Song Contest.
No fireworks, no vague “investment in culture” phrasing. Just a clear breakdown of how much Croatia is willing to spend chasing that Eurovision dream in Vienna.
How the money is split
According to the plan, the total amount is divided very deliberately:
- €382,000 for Croatia’s actual participation in Eurovision Song Contest 2026
- €577,000 for Dora 2026
In other words, Dora remains the big domestic priority. Which makes sense. It’s the show that has to look good, feel competitive and convince the public that Croatia is taking Eurovision seriously before it even reaches the international stage.
Interestingly, HRT also notes a 19.1% reduction in other production costs compared to 2025. Not because of budget panic, but because of practical changes: fewer quiz shows, lower prize money, less need for external technical services, cheaper scenography and reduced recording and dubbing work.
Translation: tightening the belt without cancelling the party.
And what about Junior Eurovision?
One thing stands out by its absence. Junior Eurovision is not mentioned anywhere in the 2026 financial plan.
Before anyone starts drafting dramatic tweets, there’s context. The plan was approved before this year’s Junior Eurovision in Tbilisi, which means Croatia’s participation in the 2026 edition could still be decided later. It’s a “wait and see”, not a definitive no. Subtle difference, but an important one.
Dora 2026: format, date and destination
Dora 2026 will take place in February at HRT Studios in Zagreb, sticking to a familiar and functional format:
- Two semi-finals
- One grand final
No reinvention of the wheel here. Just a clear path to choosing Croatia’s next Eurovision representative.
The Dora 2026 line-up
And yes, the songs. Because budgets are nice, but songs are the point.
Here’s the full list of Dora 2026 entries:
- Alen Đuras – From Ashes to Flame
- Ananda – Dora
- Cold Snap – Mucho Macho
- Devin – Over Me
- Ema Bubić – Vrijeme za nas
- Fenksta – Memento mori
- Fran Uccellini – Ako bolje bude sutra
- Gabrijel Ivić – Light Up
- Irma – Ni traga
- Ivan Sever – Crying Eyes
- Jasmina Makota – Higher
- Kandžija – 3 ujutro
- Lana Mandarić – Tama
- Lara Demarin – Mantra
- LELEK – Andromeda
- Lima Len – Raketa
- Marko Kutlić – Neotuđivo
- Noelle – Uninterrupted
- Ritam Noir – Profumi di mare
- Sergej – Scream
- Stela Rade – Nema te
- ToMa – Ledina
- Tony Sky – O ne!
- Zevin – My Mind
It’s a mix that feels very Dora: Croatian-language titles sitting comfortably next to English ones, genre hopping without apology, and at least a handful of songs that will divide opinion the second the snippets drop.
The bigger picture
Nearly one million euros won’t buy you a Eurovision win. Everyone knows that. But it does buy intent. And this budget says Croatia wants Dora to matter, wants Eurovision 2026 to be approached with structure rather than improvisation, and wants to do it without overspending.
Vienna is the destination.
Dora is the battleground.
And for once, the numbers actually tell a coherent story.
Let the rehearsals, hot takes and spreadsheet debates begin.
Source: HRT
