Today rehearsals for Junior Eurovision 2024 kicked off in Madrid. Countries rehearsing on Day 1 include Georgia, Italy, Cyprus, Albania, Ukraine, Estonia, Armenia, North Macedonia and Spain. The fourth country to rehearse today is Albania’s Nikol Çabeli.
What did we learn about Nikol Çabeli’s staging?
Disclaimer: Please note that the EBU has not released footage from the first rehearsals, and that the description detailed in this article is mainly based from the pictures and if available footage from the delegations themselves.
Nikol Çabeli is alone on stage in this performance, dressed in a ruffled dress highlighted by the pink lighting. On the screen behind her is a tree moving through the seasons, echoing the commitment to nature expressed by the song
If you are interested in seeing more pictures from Nikol Çabeli’s first rehearsal today, you can look through them right here.
Who is Nikol Çabeli?
Originally from Ioannina, Greece, Nikol was raised in Gjirokastër, in southern Albania. She is an accomplished performer outside of singing: she also plays the piano and drums, dances, and composes her own music. She is also no stranger to competition, having appeared on Little Genius 8 and at the Shkodër Children’s Festival. Outside of singing, she enjoys playing volleyball.
After being runner-up at last year’s Junior Fest, Nikol succeeded this year in representing Albania at Junior Eurovision, where she beat out seventeen other contestants in late September. A revamp of her song was released on October 8th.
Albania’s Junior Eurovision Journey
Albania first made its debut to Junior Eurovision in 2012, represented by Igzidora Gjeta, singing her song “Kam një këngë vetëm për ju”. Their first participation was not initially successful, as Albania finished 12th of 12, receiving 35 points. Albania then withdrew for two years, before returning in 2015, achieving their current best result to date. In 2015, Albania finished in fifth place with “Dambaje” by Mishela Rapo.
Albania’s most recent participation came in 2023, when the Balkan nation was represented by Viola Gjyzeli. Her song “Bota ime” was performed in Nice, as part of the 21st edition of the Contest. At the close of voting, Viola finished in 8th place in a field of 16. In total, Albania finished with points, of which 43 points came from the online vote. The remaining 51 points came from professional juries.
Are you looking forward to seeing Albania at Junior Eurovision in Madrid? As always, let us know what you think by commenting down below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Junior Eurovision 2024!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit:
That Eurovision Site 
Tim J