May the 13th, 2026 – Croatia’s Eurovision entry LELEK is among the most-watched performances of all, and it isn’t difficult to see why.
Croatia’s Eurovision representatives LELEK have emerged as one of the standout performers of Eurovision 2026 after their semi-final appearance with Andromeda rapidly became one of the contest’s most-watched performances online according to Index.
LELEK’s official Eurovision performance quickly surpassed 150,000 YouTube views and more than 9,000 likes within hours of broadcast. Only Greece’s representative Akylas had managed to attract more views at that stage, while Croatia moved ahead of Italy and several other pre-contest favourites.
This markedly strong reaction marks another major Eurovision moment for Croatia following Baby Lasagna’s near-victory back in 2024 with his viral hit and reinforces the growing perception that Croatia has become one of Eurovision’s most culturally distinctive countries.
Much of the attention surrounding LELEK has focused on the visual atmosphere of the performance. The group performed third during the first semi-final and attracted praise online for its cinematic staging, layered harmonies and dramatic presentation. Croatian media highlighted hundreds of enthusiastic fan comments describing the entry as “the best performance of the night” and praising its emotional intensity and symbolism.
The performance appears to have significantly strengthened Croatia’s Eurovision position compared to early expectations.
Interest around LELEK had already been building before Eurovision week itself. Following the release of rehearsal footage earlier this month, Croatian media reported that LELEK climbed from 16th to 13th place on Eurovision betting odds after fans reacted positively to the group’s second rehearsal clip
Eurovision fan communities online had also been very strongly supportive of the group long before the contest began. Reddit discussions from January and February frequently described Andromeda as Croatia’s strongest Dora entry and a potential Eurovision contender. Several users praised the group’s ethno-pop style and cultural symbolism, while others described the song as “winner material” after first listen.
LELEK eventually won Dora 2026 convincingly, collecting both the strongest public support and jury backing. Their victory also helped Dora become one of the most-watched television broadcasts in Croatia this year, with more than 36% audience share nationwide according to television ratings data.
