In just one week, Albania’s “Festivali i Këngës” will open in Tirana, revealing its Eurovision 2026 representative. Here’s who will perform on each night and what’s planned for the nostalgic evening.
In exactly one week, Tirana will host Albania’s most anticipated cultural event of the year – the 64th edition of the “Festivali i Këngës”, which will once again serve as the country’s national selection for Eurovision. The national broadcaster RTSH officially announced today (Wednesday) the full performance lineup of 28 artists divided between two semi-finals, scheduled for December 17 and 18. The winner of the grand final, to be held on December 20, will represent Albania at Eurovision 2026, taking place in Vienna, Austria.
“Festivali i Këngës” Semi-Final 1 – December 17
The festival will open next Wednesday with 14 performers taking to the stage one after another:
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Rigersa Loka – Albanian Heart
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Lorenc Hasrama – Lamtumirë
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Sara Kapo – Të dua shumë
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Sheila – Zemra e tokës
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Kleansa Susaj – Hije
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Gresa Gjocera & Bledi Kaso – Busulla e zemrë
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!Ghiti – Okej!
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LYNX – Nuk kthehem pas
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Erand Sojli – Të kam në fron
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Inis Neziri – Ta kam fal
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Kimi – Prap diell de
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Alis – Nân
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Enxhi Nasufi – Dritë
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Rezarta Smaja – Balukeprera
“Festivali i Këngës” Semi-Final 2 – December 18
The following evening, Thursday, the remaining 14 contestants will perform their songs:
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Savjana Vjerdha – ID
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2Farm – Valle mbi hi
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Gerta Mahmutaj – Në krahët e tu
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Sihana Haxhnikaj – Horizont
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Luna Çausholli – Pa kufij
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Erik Lloshi – Dy pika dashuri
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Frensi – Tresh
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Malvina Likajn – Përtej shpirti
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Vedat Ademi – Kur fjala mbaron
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Kamela Islamaj – Pa pretendime
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ThreeX – Vite
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Endri Kaçaçi – Si Unë
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3Fifi & Tiri Gjoci – Rri
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Evi Reçi – Kodi i jetës
Click any song title to listen!
Nostalgia Night and the Grand Final
The third evening (December 19) will be dedicated to “Nata e Nostalgjisë” — the Night of Nostalgia. Unlike in previous editions, which featured duets with former artists, this year’s show will pay tribute to the songwriters and poets who shaped the festival’s history. The evening will include touching performances of classics that left a lasting mark on Albania’s musical heritage.
The excitement will peak on the fourth and final evening – the Grand Final on December 20. At the end of the night, the winner who will carry Albania’s flag to Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria will be announced.
Listen to the Full Playlist Here:
Returning Creators
Among this year’s notable contributors is Beatriçe Gjergji, writer and composer of “Okej”. She previously performed and wrote “Zjerm”, which represented Albania last year, finishing eighth in the Eurovision final — the country’s third-best result in history.
Florent Boshnjaku, composer of “Horizont”, also wrote the iconic Albanian entry “Suus” By Rona Nishliu, who represented Albania in Eurovision 2012 and secured fifth place — Albania’s best-ever Eurovision ranking.
Darko Dimitrov, who composed the song “Albanian Heart”, is among the most experienced songwriters in the festival when it comes to creating Eurovision entries. Originally from North Macedonia, Dimitrov has written around a dozen songs over the years that represented Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Georgia, and most recently Montenegro in 2025 (“Dobrodošli”, performed by Nina Žižić). He also composed “Proud”, North Macedonia’s entry for Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv, performed by Tamara Todevska. Todevska brought North Macedonia its best-ever Eurovision result, finishing seventh overall and first in the jury vote.
Pandi Laço, who wrote the lyrics for “Busulla e zemrës”, is behind three of Albania’s past Eurovision entries. These include “Tomorrow I Go”, which earned Albania 16th place in Eurovision 2005, “Hear My Plea”, which failed to qualify and finished 17th in 2007’s semi-final, and “Zemrën E Lamë Peng”, which brought Albania to 17th place in Eurovision 2008.
Eriona Rushiti, credited as one of the creators of the songs “Horizont” and “Kodi i jetës,” wrote the lyrics for “Duje“, which represented Albania at Eurovision 2023 and finished 22nd. Another song penned by Rushiti was “Ktheju tokës“, Albania’s entry in Eurovision 2019, held in Tel Aviv, which placed 17th.
Kledi Bahiti composed three of the 19 competing songs this year (“Në krahët e tu”, “Dritë”, and “Pa kufij”). He is also known for composing two previous Albanian Eurovision entries: “Karma” by Anxhela Peristeri, which placed 21st in 2021, and “Titan” by Besa Kokedhima, which finished 15th in the semi-final in 2024.
Klodian Qafoku, composer of the song “Përtej shpirtit”, was among the writers of “World“, which represented Albania at Eurovision 2017. The song finished 14th in the semi-final.
Gjergj Kaçinari, listed as the composer of “Pa pretendime”, is also known for performing as an artist in “Festivali i Këngës” four times: in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025.
Sokol Marsi served as a member of the Albanian jury in 2023 and helped write the song “Balukeprera” for the current festival. Marsi is also no stranger to Eurovision songwriting, having contributed to two Albanian entries in the contest: “I’m Alive” by Elhaida Dani, which placed 17th in Eurovision 2015, and “Feel The Passion” by Aurela Gaçe, which did not qualify for the final and finished 14th in 2011’s semi-final.
Flamur Shehu, who composed the song “Dy pika dashuri” for the current festival, was also part of the Albanian jury at Eurovision 2016.
Inis Neziri, who will perform the song “Ta kam fal” (which she wrote herself), is also credited as one of the creators of another song in the current list (“Tresh” by Frensi).
Among the Contestants As Well – Many Familiar Names:
Many of the contestants this year have competed in past editions, with only five exceptions.
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Alis – Participated last year with the song “Mjegull”, finishing in third place.
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2 Farm – Competed in the 2023 selection with “Atomike”, which was a fan favorite but failed to reach the final.
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Enxhi Nasufi – a well-known Albanian singer who took part in the 59th edition, serving as the 2021 national selection, with the song “Njesoj”.
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Fifi & Tiri Gjoci – A duo, each of whom has previously participated individually. Fifi competed in 2023 with “Stop”, and Tiri Gjoci in 2020 with “Me goten bosh”.
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Rezarta Smaja – Took part with “E jemja nuse“, composed by this year’s representatives Shkodra Elektronike, in the 2022 selection, placing third.
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Kamela Islamaj – A frequent participant, remembered most for “Me ngyros” in 2020.
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Lorenc Hasrama – Performed with the song “Fryme” last year, reached the final, and placed fifth.
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Inis Neziri – Competed several times, with “Pendese” in 2021 and “Piedestal” in 2018, the latter securing third place.
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Evi Reçi – A well-known festival participant who has entered numerous times.
Other past participants who placed lower include Sara Kapo, Erik Lloshi, Frensi, Greta Mahmutaji, Greta Gjocera & Bledi Kaso, Kleansa Susaj, and Luna Causholli.
The New Voting System
This year introduces a major change to the selection process. The winner will be chosen through a combination of jury and public votes:
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50% – Professional jury panel
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25% – SMS votes from Albania and neighboring countries
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25% – International online voting via a dedicated application
“Festivali i Këngës 64” Dates:
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First Semi-Final – Wednesday, December 17th, 2025.
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Second Semi-Final – Thursday, December 18th, 2025.
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Nostalgia Night – Friday, December 19th, 2025.
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Grand Final – Saturday, December 20th, 2025.
Albania at Eurovision 2025
“Zjerm” (in English: “Fire”), performed by the duo Shkodra Elektronike, represented Albania at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Albania qualified for the final from the first semi-final in second place with 122 points and finished eighth in the grand final with 218 points – 45 from the jury and 173 from the public.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Albania’s 22nd participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Albania joined the competition in 2004 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2012 when singer Rona Nishliu reached fifth place with the song “Suus”.
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Noy Yehoyada is an Israeli journalist and content creator at the EuroMix team since 2024, bringing a personal, feminine, and LGBTQ+ voice into the Eurovision sphere. A devoted Eurovision fan since the age of 16, she plays an active role in covering the contest—including on-site reporting at Eurovision 2025 in Basel and across European pre-party events. Alongside her writing and commentary, Noy plans the editorial schedule for the website, closely tracks national selections and song reveals, participates in live broadcasts, and creates digital content focusing on representation, musical diversity, and emotional connections.
Beyond her work at EuroMix, Noy has over six years of experience in the cosmetics and pharma industries, with a background in sales, personal consulting, and managing beauty departments. She enjoys pop, rap, contemporary art, and traveling in Europe—and especially loves songs that make her want to dance, as well as those that tell a story.
