Croatia’s LELEK reach Eurovision final after one of ‘most-watched’ performances

LELEK

Croatia’s representatives at Eurovision 2026, LELEK, have emerged as one of the most-watched acts from the first semi-final following their performance of “Andromeda”.

Shortly after the first semi-final concluded, the group’s official performance on the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel quickly gained strong international attention. After just 12 hours, the video had more than 239,000 views and over 12,000 likes.

Viewer reactions online have also been largely positive, with many Eurovision fans praising the staging, atmosphere and message behind the performance.

Comments described the act as “the best performance of the night”, while others praised the song’s powerful message and cinematic presentation.

Only the Greek representative Akylas, performing “Ferto”, had attracted more views so far with around 469,000. Italy’s Sal Da Vinci followed behind with “Per Sempre Sì”, which had reached approximately 246,000 views, only just ahead of LELEK.

LELEK performed third during the first semi-final evening and stood out with a visually striking stage performance and dramatic atmosphere.

Croatia successfully secured a place in the Eurovision 2026 grand final alongside Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Moldova, Israel, Serbia, Lithuania and Poland.

The group LELEK consists of Inka Večerina Perušić, Judita Štorga, Korina Olivia Rogić, Lara Brtan and Marina Ramljak. The group combines elements of Croatian traditional music with a contemporary sound.

Their Eurovision entry “Andromeda” is an atmospheric ethno-pop track featuring strong vocal performances and cinematic production inspired by Croatian and Bosnian cultural and historical themes.

The song explores themes of generational trauma, resistance and the strength of women across generations. It also references historical practices such as “sicanje”, a traditional tattooing custom used by Catholic women in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Ottoman rule as a way of preserving identity and faith.

The Eurovision 2026 grand final will take place on 16 May and will be broadcast live on Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) and the HRTi multimedia platform.