Singer Mate Mišo Kovač died on 31 October 2026 in Podstrana near Split. Thousands said goodbye at Poljud stadium on 3 November. He is buried at Zagreb's Mirogoj on 4 November, with family only. The commemoration is on 11 November at 12:00 in the Lisinski concert hall.
Checked: 4 November 2026, 12:45
Singer Mate Mišo Kovač died on Saturday 31 October 2026 in Podstrana near Split, in his 86th year, the Hina news agency reports (N1). On Tuesday thousands of people said goodbye to him at Poljud stadium in Split. He is buried on Wednesday 4 November at Zagreb's Mirogoj cemetery beside his son Edi, with family only. A commemoration follows on Wednesday 11 November at 12:00 in the Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall in Zagreb, his label Croatia Records announced (tportal).
The farewell in Split
The City of Split, HNK Hajduk and the Croatian Music Union (Hrvatska glazbena unija) organised the farewell at Poljud on Tuesday 3 November (N1). Entry was free with a ticket downloaded in advance (tportal). All 33,000 free tickets were gone within a few hours, Telegram reports (Telegram). Giuliano, Mladen Grdović, Dražen Zečić, Joško Čagalj Jole, Alen Nižetić and klapa Rišpet sang. The car with the coffin drove along the running track around the pitch while his song “Poljubi zemlju” played. Fra Ivan Utješinović, parish priest of the Holy Trinity parish at Poljud, led the prayer. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković told RTL that Kovač is “part of our identity” (N1).
The government declared Tuesday a Day of National Condolence (Dan nacionalne sućuti) at a telephone session on Monday (HRT). The Croatian flag flew at half-mast on the buildings of state bodies, cities and counties. Planned concerts and events could go ahead, the government said.
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The funeral cortege through Šibenik and Zadar
After the farewell at Poljud the coffin travelled via Šibenik and Zadar towards Zagreb (tportal, Telegram). Kovač came from Šibenik (HRT). People gathered along the route. In Zadar the Društvo prijatelja Hajduka, a Hajduk supporters' society, invited residents to join the procession. In Pakoštane more than 300 people saw him off with about a hundred torches, HRT reports.
Burial and commemoration in Zagreb
The burial at Mirogoj on Wednesday 4 November is for the family. Kovač rests there beside his son Edi (N1, net.hr). Croatia Records asks the public to respect the family's privacy. The commemoration begins on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 12:00 in the Small Hall (Mala dvorana) of the Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall (023.hr). Early unofficial reports had named 4 November; Croatia Records set the date one week later (tportal).
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The dates at a glance
| Date | Place | What |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 31 October | Podstrana near Split | Mišo Kovač dies in his 86th year |
| Mon 2 November | Zagreb | Government declares Tuesday a Day of National Condolence; Croatia Records names the commemoration date |
| Tue 3 November | Poljud stadium, Split | Farewell with 33,000 free tickets, flags at half-mast |
| After the farewell | Šibenik, Zadar | Funeral cortege towards Zagreb |
| Wed 4 November | Mirogoj, Zagreb | Burial beside his son Edi, family only |
| Wed 11 November, 12:00 | Lisinski, Small Hall, Trg Stjepana Radića 4, Zagreb | Commemoration |
Lisinski: address and entry
- The Lisinski concert hall stands at Trg Stjepana Radića 4 in Zagreb (Lisinski). Croatia Records has so far published the date, time and hall; entry rules are still to come.
- The burial on 4 November is reserved for the family. Mirogoj, its history and how to get there: our Mirogoj report.
- City guides: Zagreb, Split, Šibenik.
Frequently asked questions
- When and where is the commemoration for Mišo Kovač?
- On Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 12:00 in the Small Hall of the Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall, Trg Stjepana Radića 4, Zagreb, according to Croatia Records.
- Where is Mišo Kovač buried?
- At Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb, beside his son Edi. The burial on Wednesday 4 November is for the family.
- What did the Day of National Condolence on 3 November mean?
- The Croatian flag flew at half-mast on state and local government buildings. Planned concerts and events could go ahead, the government said.
Sources
- N1 (Hina): commemoration for Mate Mišo Kovač on 11 November at Lisinski
- HRT: Government declares Tuesday a Day of National Condolence
- tportal: official confirmation of the farewell and commemoration
- 023.hr: Croatia Records announces the commemoration at Lisinski
- N1: live report from the farewell at Poljud
- HRT: Poljud says a last goodbye to Mišo Kovač
- Telegram: the coffin passes Zadar and Šibenik on the way to Zagreb
- net.hr: details of the commemoration and the funeral
- Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall: address
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