- by croatiaweek
- November 1, 2026
- in
Mišo Kovač (YouTube/Screenshot)
A public farewell for legendary Croatian singer and lifelong Hajduk Split supporter Mate Mišo Kovač will take place at Poljud Stadium on Tuesday, 3 November.
HNK Hajduk Split announced on Sunday that the farewell, organised jointly by the football club, supporters’ group Torcida Split and the Croatian Musicians’ Union, will officially begin at 16:00.
Entry to the stadium will be free of charge, allowing supporters, music fans and members of the public to pay their final respects.
Kovač died in Split on Saturday, 31 October 2026, aged 85.
One of the most recognisable voices in Croatian music, Kovač enjoyed a career spanning more than six decades and became one of the biggest recording artists in the former Yugoslavia.
He began pursuing music as a teenager and recorded his first record in 1964. His major breakthrough came in 1969 with the song ‘Više se nećeš vratiti’, which became a major hit and sold almost 190,000 copies.
His popularity continued to grow throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with a series of songs that became part of the musical landscape across the region.
Among his best-known recordings are ‘Proplakat će zora’, ‘Ostala si uvijek ista’, ‘Ako me ostaviš’, ‘Svi pjevaju, ja ne čujem’, ‘Poljubi zemlju’ and ‘Ti si pjesma moje duše’.
Over the course of his career, he recorded numerous successful albums and sold millions of records. His contribution to Croatian music was recognised in 2012 when he received the Porin Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the country’s most prestigious music honours.
Beyond music, Kovač was also closely associated with Hajduk Split and was widely known as a passionate supporter of the club.
Tuesday’s farewell at Poljud will give the public an opportunity to pay tribute to the singer whose music and connection with Hajduk left a lasting mark on Croatia.