Just over a month on from the confirmation that Albania will participate in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, the dates for Festivali i Këngës have now been announced.
Festivali i Këngës 62
Just last week it was revealed that 80 songs had been submitted to RTSH in the hopes of winning the contest. RTSH also revealed that interest has stretched beyond Albania, as song has been submitted from neighbouring Kosovo, and North Macedonia; as well as further afield submissions from Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the United States.
These 80 artists will be narrowed down to the 27 acts who will participate across the four broadcasted shows. This is expected to take place between the 19th and 22nd of December. Of the 27 acts selected, 13 are set to established artists, with the remaining 14 being newcomers. As with last year, the winner of Festivali i Këngës will be decided by an equally weighted jury and televote, though the manner how that decision in made has been altered. It is not known at this stage whether the winner will automatically be selected to represent Albania in Malmö.
What is Festivali i Këngës?
Similarly to Italy’s Sanremo, and Spain’s Benidorm Festival, the history of Festivali i Këngës predates that of its connection to Eurovision. The contest has decided every Albanian Eurovision entrant, and every song with the exception of 2015, when winner Elhaida opted to change her song for Vienna.
Albania’s Eurovision Journey
In 2004, Albania made their debut into the Eurovision Song Contest with Anjeza Shahini with “Image of You”, which placed 7th in the final. Since their debut, Albania has participated 19 times, and made the final 10 times, with their best result in 2012 where Rona Nishliu placed 5th with “Suus”. In 2023, Albina Kelmendi and her family represented Albania at the Contest in Liverpool with their song “Duje”.
Performing in the second semi-final, the six-piece group qualified for the final. At the close of the voting in the final, Albania finished in 22nd place with a total of 76 points. Of these, 16 points came from the juries, whilst 59 came from the televote.
Are you excited for the return of Festivali i Këngës in 2024? Who would you like to see represent Albania at Eurovision in 2024? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: Eurovision Albania / RTSH
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU
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