Misa Kovac: Croatia Marks Day of National Condolence
Croatia's government declared November 3 a Day of National Condolence after the death of singer Misa Kovac. Concerts and events are not canceled.
Croatia will fly its flags at half-mast on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, after the death of singer Misa Kovac. The government decided on the Day of National Condolence on Monday, November 2, at a session held by phone. Kovac died on Saturday, October 31, according to Index in his apartment in Podstrana, near Split.
Under the decision, the flag is flown on buildings that house state authorities and local and regional government bodies. The same applies to buildings that are the seat of legal entities or where they operate, as well as those where individuals carry out independent activities.
How does a Day of National Condolence differ from a Day of Mourning?
A Day of Mourning requires the cancellation of all entertainment and cultural events and changes to radio and television programming. A Day of National Condolence carries no such obligations. In a statement carried by HRT, the government said it “does not imply the cancellation of previously planned events and concerts.”
In other words, radio and television programs, along with performances already scheduled across the country, can go ahead as planned. The decision itself requires only the flags.
The rationale for the decision says Kovac marked decades of the Croatian music scene with a “recognizable voice, personality and inimitable interpretation,” and the government describes him as one of the greatest and most distinguished Croatian musicians.
How many times has Croatia declared this day?
According to Index, a Day of National Condolence was first declared in July 2018, after the death of Oliver Dragojevic, and a second time in February 2023, after the death of Miroslav Ciro Blazevic. By that count, Kovac is the third public figure the state has honored this way.
Who was Misa Kovac?
Mate Misa Kovac was born on July 16, 1941, in Sibenik, during the Italian occupation. He grew up on a street that produced two other great careers, those of Vice Vukov and Arsen Dedic. Decades later he recorded the duet “Mi smo lisce s iste grane” with Dedic.
His hits include “Drugi joj rasplece kosu, a ja je volim,” “Ostala si uvijek ista,” “Ako me ostavis,” “Sutra mi sude,” “Odavno vise ne placem zbog tebe” and “Ti si pjesma moje duse.” He was named singer of the year five times, and in 1989 person of the year in Yugoslavia.
Index reports that over roughly fifty years of his career he sold more than 20 million records and other sound carriers, which places him among the best-selling singers in Croatia and in the former Yugoslavia. Compilations of his hits were released from 1975 to 2023, and some studio albums were also reissued.
We described the plan for his farewell earlier, in the article “Farewell to Misa Kovac: Sibenik, Poljud and Mirogoj.” The government’s decision on the Day of National Condolence is the latest state decision in that sequence.
