HRT shakes the table: Zagreb snatches Dora 2026 in a move everyone saw coming
HRT has officially decided that Dora 2026 will take place in Zagreb, and the Croatian fandom reacted with that familiar mix of outrage, amusement and “yeah, we kind of expected this”. After years romanticising Opatija as if it were the spiritual home of Croatian Eurovision hopes, the broadcaster has gone for something far more practical: its own HRT studio in Prisavlje. Less Adriatic charm, more actual production control. A very grown-up choice, almost unsettlingly so.
In the announcement, HRT thanked Opatija for its long-standing hospitality, which is sweet and polite, like sending flowers to an ex after you’ve packed your bags. But the truth sits right under the surface: with 100 years of Croatian radio, 70 years of television, the Winter Olympics and the World Cup all happening around the same time, Opatija simply didn’t stand a chance. Zagreb offers cables, lights and a level of technical stability you don’t get in a coastal theatre held together by nostalgia.
Dora 2026 will be broadcast live on HTV, HRTi and the broadcaster’s website, business as usual. The difference this year is the vibe: HRT clearly wants full control of every millimetre of the show, the kind of “let’s not embarrass ourselves during a major anniversary” energy that even casual fans can smell from a kilometre away.
Zagreb is, frankly, the logical pick. It may lack Opatija’s retro Eurovision chic, but it compensates with infrastructure and the comforting sense that nothing will explode mid-rehearsal. And there is something undeniably funny about the broadcaster suddenly sharpening its focus just when it’s busy celebrating its own historical milestones. Self-awareness? Probably not. Perfect timing? Absolutely.
Naturally, the fandom has split in two: team Opatija, mourning the end of an era, and team Zagreb, thrilled to finally see a Dora without echoing acoustics and unreliable stage rigs. But everyone, no matter which side they’re on, is hoping for the same miracle: that this move marks the moment Croatia stops flirting with Eurovision success and actually commits to it.
Source: Opatija
