The Eurovision Song Contest is heading toward its 70th edition, which will take place in Vienna (Austria) on May 12, 14, and 16 at the Wiener Stadthalle.
Little by little, the participating countries are immersed in preparations to refine the details of their entries with which they will fight to win the coveted glass microphone.
The Eurovision season has left very diverse entries, and among them stands out Croatia, which has opted for a candidacy with a strong cultural identity. The public broadcaster HRT selected its representatives through Dora 2026, where the group LELEK managed to prevail with their entry, securing the ticket to Vienna.
How did they make it to Eurovision? What experience do they have in the music world? How are they preparing their entry with which they will compete in Vienna 2026?
In this edition, we take a look at LELEK’s musical career, the context of their candidacy, and their song. Croatia’s representatives at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will defend their entry with “Andromeda,” a proposal that blends tradition and modernity on the European stage in what will be Croatia’s 32nd participation.
This is LELEK, from Zagreb to the national spotlight
LELEK is a Croatian folk-pop group made up entirely of women, formed in Zagreb in 2024 with the intention of reviving the essence of traditional Balkan music and adapting it to a contemporary sound. The current lineup consists of Inka Večerina Perušić, Judita Štorga, Korina Olivia Rogić, Lara Brtan, and Marina Ramljak, five artists who have built a highly recognizable proposal based on vocal harmonies, refined aesthetics, and genre fusion.
Their debut came at the end of 2024 with “Tanani Nani”, their first single, in which they already made their influences and artistic approach clear: reinterpreting Croatian folklore from a modern perspective.
The group quickly gained visibility in their country, especially after their participation in Dora 2025, the Croatian preselection for Eurovision, where they achieved a notable fourth place with “The Soul of My Soul”, also being one of the most positively received entries by the public.
After the contest, they continued developing their project with new releases such as the Croatian version “Zašto mi otimaš Dom”, a remix with Billogorz, and the collaboration “Tane” with MARIN, consolidating their presence in the Croatian music scene. After some lineup changes, the group returned stronger to Dora 2026, where they won with “Andromeda” after scoring 173 points, thus earning the right to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.
In a very short time, LELEK has become a standout proposal within the Croatian music landscape thanks to its ability to combine tradition and modernity in an accessible and contemporary format.
The selection of LELEK represents a clear statement by Croatia in favor of an entry with well-defined cultural roots, but presented with a modern aesthetic and production.
This is “Andromeda” LELEK ’s entry to represent Croatia at Eurovision 2026
The selection of LELEK represents a clear commitment by Croatia to an entry with well-defined cultural roots and its own identity, but presented with a contemporary aesthetic and production. In an increasingly competitive landscape, the group offers a proposal that stands out for its artistic coherence and personality.
“Andromeda” is a song composed by Filip Lacković, Zorica Pajić, and Lazar Pajić and written by Tomislav Roso. The track maintains that balance between traditional and contemporary elements that characterizes the group, adapting it to the Eurovision format.
The entry, entirely in Croatian, addresses collective pain, fear, and loss from a perspective of resistance, identity, and connection to roots. It denounces injustice, the suffering of mothers, and the wounds left by conflicts on an entire generation. Ultimately, “Andromeda” represents an escape route, a longing for peace, distance, and liberation from the pain experienced.
Lyrics
Croatian
Dok pališ svijeću pitaj svoju baku,
Zašto je kćeri rađala u strahu.
Zašto su mnogi odabrali groblje?
Nisu naše majke iznjedrile roblje.
Mnoge su suze potekle k’o rijeka.
Zašto se piše povijest ispočetka?
Sinovi naši nisu podanici.
Da l’ vas noću bude iz kolijevke krici?
Uzmi me sebi
Kraljice zemljo.
Tvoja je duša,
Njima sam tijelo.
Vodi me do zvijezda,
Porušenih gnijezda.
Tamo gdje uz krike
Isprate vojnike.
Vodi me do zvijezda,
Daleko od pogleda,
Andromeda
Sve urezane ožiljke do kosti
Nijedna majka neće vam oprostit’.
Na stolu srama zlato sa đerdana,
Dok peru ruke krvlju naših rana.
Izdajice
Izdajice
Izdajice
Izdajice
Uzmi me sebi
Kraljice zemljo.
Tvoja je duša,
Njima sam tijelo.
Vodi me do zvijezda,
Porušenih gnijezda.
Tamo gdje uz krike
Isprate vojnike.
Vodi me do zvijezda,
Daleko od pogleda,
Andromeda
Vodi me do zvijezda,
Porušenih gnijezda.
Tamo gdje uz krike
Isprate vojnike.
Vodi me do zvijezda,
Daleko od pogleda,
Andromeda
Andromeda
Andromeda
Andromeda
Andromeda
Andromeda
Andromeda
English
When you light a candle, ask your grandmother
Why she gave birth to daughters in fear.
Why did so many choose the grave?
Our mothers did not give birth to slaves.
So many tears have flowed like rivers.
Why is history written all over again?
Our sons are not subjects nor servants.
Do their cradle-cries still haunt you at night?
Take me as yours,
Queen of this land.
Your soul is mine,
To them I am just flesh.
Lead me to the stars,
To shattered nests afar,
Where soldiers are sent away
With screams that echo and stay.
Lead me to the stars,
Far from watching eyes
Andromeda.
All the scars carved to the bone,
No mother will forgive what you’ve done.
On the table of shame lies gold from torn necklaces,
While you wash your hands in the blood of our wounds.
Traitors.
Traitors.
Traitors.
Traitors.
Take me as yours,
Queen of this land.
Your soul is mine,
To them I am just flesh.
Lead me to the stars,
To shattered nests afar,
Where soldiers are sent away
With screams that echo and stay.
Lead me to the stars,
Far from watching eyes
Andromeda.
Lead me to the stars,
To shattered nests afar,
Where soldiers are sent away
With screams that echo and stay.
Lead me to the stars,
Far from watching eyes
Andromeda.
Andromeda.
Andromeda.
Andromeda.
Andromeda.
Andromeda.
Andromeda.
Croatia at Eurovision: A Quick History
Croatia debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 following the dissolution of Yugoslavia. During the 1990s it achieved several strong results, including two 4th places in 1996 and 1999, its best positions to date. However, in the 2000s its performance became more irregular and it accumulated several semifinal eliminations.
After a period of reduced presence in finals, the country returned to prominence in 2024 with Baby Lasagna and “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, which achieved 2nd place with 547 points, the best result in its history and one of the most popular entries among the public in the contest. In 2025 it once again remained in the semifinals with Marko Bošnjak and his “Poison Cake”, which did not go beyond 13th place.