Croatia’s national broadcaster, HRT, has confirmed it will return to Junior Eurovision after almost a decade away. The country has also already chosen its act for the Contest which will be held later this year.
The Voice Kids used to pick artist for return
The Croatian Head of Delegation Tomislav Štengl confirmed Croatia‘s return to the competition. He also added that Marino Vrgoč will represent the nation at the upcoming Contest. Marino came to fame after winning The Voice Kids. Following this, he was offered the chance to go to Junior Eurovision, which he accepted. Speaking on his selection, Marino said:
I was very surprised when they told me. I couldn’t believe it. After The Voice, everything is great. I perform everywhere, and when they see me in town, everyone contacts me.
Tomislav said there were a lot more differences between the adult and junior version of the Contest. He added HRT would protect Marino, saying:
The big Eurovision Song Contest has politics and lobbying. And the children’s Eurovision is just an innocent version of the big one.
Currently, eight countries are confirmed to be taking part at Junior Eurovision 2025. The official host city and country have yet to be decided. A formal decision on where the Contest will be held will be made in due course.
Croatia’s Junior Eurovision journey
Croatia was one of the first participants at the first edition of the Contest in 2003. Croatia would eventually win the first ever Junior Eurovision Song Contest, being represented by Dino Jelusić singing “Ti si moja prva ljubav”. Croatia would score a third place result the following year, before seeing a dip in results and withdrawing before the 2007 Contest.
Croatia’s most recent participation was in 2014, when Josie brought Croatia back to the Contest after an eight-year break. Singing her song “Game Over”, Croatia finished 16th in a field of 16, receiving 13 points. Croatia has since withdrawn from participation again.
Are you happy to see Croatia return to Junior Eurovision? How do you think they will do at the Contest? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2025!
News Source: HRT
Photo Credit: Jasenko Rasol / HRT
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