🇦🇱 Besa Kokëdhima to represent Albania at Eurovision 2024

Festivali i Këngës 62 concluded this evening with the fourth and final night of Albania’s premier song contest. At the end of the show RTSH revealed that Besa Kokëdhima will represent Albania at Eurovision 2024.

Festivali I Këngës 62 : Night 4

The final show tonight was hosted by four separate hosts: Adriana Matoshi, Kledi Kadiu, Xhuliano Dule, and Krisa Çaushi. Interval acts included performances from La Fazani – Oj Kosovë (Winner of Festivali i Këngës në RTK), Nik Xhelilaj (Actor and Festivali i Këngës 50 host) with Tanera Ölmeza (Turkish actor), Nikos Gelia (Greek actor) and Aurela Gaçe (Eurovision 2011 Albania).

The 31 acts had originally been narrowed down from an initial long list of 80. The songs performed tonight were as follows:

These were however not all of the acts eligible for the vote to represent Albania at Eurovision. Performers from the first and second night of the festival who failed to make the final could still receive votes to be selected as Albania’s Eurovision entrant; however were ineligible for the primary Festivali i Këngës prize.

How were the results decided?

The acts qualifying for the final from the previous two shows was decided by a professional jury, with the results announced later in the week. Nevertheless, a televote was used to decide Albania’s Eurovision entrant separately, meaning that all of the competing artists will have a chance to represent, even if they do not progress to the final.

Jury Awards

The jury gave out the following awards:

• The Best Debutant Award – Peter Pan Quartet
• Critics Award – Martina Serreqi
• Third Prize – Shpat Deda
• Second Prize – Tiri Gjoci
• First Prize – Mal Ratkoceri

What is Festivali i Këngës?

Albania’s Festivali i Këngës long predates Albania’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Since 1962, Albanian musicians perform for the broadcast audience in December. At inception, Festivali i Këngës focused on “light music”, a populist kind of classical music. Following the end of a period of censorship in the 1970s and 80s, performers chose from a variety of genres, and love songs, political entries, and rock music became more common; starting in the 1990s, diasporia Albanian singers were also allowed to participate. The entries at FiK have since then often reflected political and social issues prevalent in Albania, such as the transition away from communism, the rash of pyramid schemes in the mid-1990s, and the fragmentation of family units. As of 2004, the winner of Festivali i Këngës gains first refusal to represent Albania at Eurovision; however, beginning in 2022, the jury winner is separate from the televote winner, the latter of whom gets to go to Eurovision.

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.

Who would you like to see represent Albania in Malmö? Do you think Albania can maintain its current qualification streak and be in the final at Eurovision 2024? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we look ahead to Eurovision 2024!

News Source: RTSH

Photo Credit: RTSH