Albania’s Eurovision 2026: Alis will perform “Nân” on the Eurovision 2026 stage. Listen to the song.

Screenshot: RTSH

“Nân” (in English: “Mother”) is the name of the song that will be performed by the singer Alis, who will represent Albania at Eurovision 2026 to be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th. The song was written by Desara Gjini and composed by the singer himself. This is the first Eurovision entry for both composers.

The selected song was performed in the national selection in Albanian, but toward Eurovision, the singer will be given the option to perform it in another language. However, it is worth noting that Albania generally finds more success at Eurovision with songs in Albanian, whereas it often fails to qualify for the final when translating its entries into English. The song’s current length exceeds three minutes (as is customary for the festival); therefore, a “revamp” involving editing and shortening will be required to comply with Eurovision rules.

Alis begins his performance at the front of the stage, wearing black sunglasses and a stylish black suit. The stage around him is darkened, lit only by a few spotlights, while the camera circles him. During the song’s climaxes, red, white, and blue lights flash behind him like bolts of lightning. The performance footage includes shots of the backing vocalists and the orchestra. Toward the end of the performance, he holds a pocket watch dangling from its chain before dropping it to the floor. As the song mellows and becomes more emotional at the finish, the screens behind him display blue and white imagery with natural shapes resembling coral and water.

The song is a heartbreaking ballad that gives voice to the Albanian (and universal) mother dealing with her children leaving in search of a “better life” – a painful and familiar theme in Balkan culture (emigration). The lyrics fluctuate between cruel reality and sweet memory: the mother is left alone in a house that was once filled with “warm noise,” books scattered on the floor, and children running through the halls, but has now become empty, cold, and silent. The song chillingly describes the trickery of longing and loneliness – the mother imagines she sees running shadows and hears laughter in the yard, but when she opens the window, no one is there. Out of habit, she finds herself making the beds for sleep, but her call remains unanswered. The chorus emphasizes the mother’s infinite loyalty and sacrifice: she remains almost frozen in time at the doorstep, counting the passing weeks and years (“This summer has already passed”), promising her children that even if the longing withers her soul, they should not feel sorry or worry—because Mother will always be there, waiting for their return.

 

Alis Kallaçi – Who Are You?

Alis Kallaçi is a 22-year-old Albanian singer and songwriter who rose to public prominence in 2024 when he was crowned the winner of the Albanian version of the reality show “X Factor Albania.” During the competition, Alis was part of the team coached by singer Arilena Ara, who was set to represent Albania in Eurovision 2020. The professional bond between the two led to the successful duet “Se të dua,” released after his victory. For Alis, this is not his first experience in the national selection. He made his debut at “Festivali i Këngës” last year, where he achieved a respectable third place with the song “Mjegull” (in English: “Mist”). This year, he returned to the competition and secured the win with the song “Nân” (in English: “Mother”), on an evening where his mentor served as the host – closing an emotional circle.

Albanian Festival Results

The competition results were determined by a panel of judges (50%) and SMS voting (50%). Alis won first place by both judges and SMS voters.

Artist	Song	Jury	SMS	Total	Place
Alis	Nân	68	84	152	1
Inis Neziri	Ta kam fal	32	70	102	2
Sheila	Zemra e Tokës	65	28	93	3
Fifi & Tiri Gjoci	Rri	29	56	85	4
Vedat Ademi	Kur Fjala Mbaron	42	21	63	5
Sara Kapo	Të dua shumë	6	49	55	6
Endri Kaç̧i	Si Unë	40	14	54	7
2 Farm	Valle mbi hi	10	42	52	8
Luna Çaüsholli	Pa kufij	1	35	36	9
Enxhi Nasufi	Dritë	25	0	25	10
Frensi	Tresh	22	0	22	11
Ghiti	Okej!	17	0	17	12
Rezarta Smaja	Balukeprera	15	0	15	13
Savjana Vjerdha	Dimër për dimër e vjeshtë për vjeshtë	11	0	11	14
Lorenc Hasrama	Lamtumirë	10	0	10	15
Gerta Mahmutaj	Në krahët e tu	0	7	7	16
Rigersa Loka	Albanian Heart	5	0	5	17
Erik Lloshi	Dy pika dashuri	4	0	4	18
Kamela Islamaj	Pa pretendime	4	0	4	19
Lynx	Nuk kthehem pas	0	0	0	20
Evi Reçi	Kodi i jetës	0	0	0	21
Kleansa Susaj	Hije	0	0	0	22
Gresa Gjocera & Bledi Kaso	Busulla e zemrës	0	0	0	23

Lyrics – “Nân”

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.”