The confirmed list of countries for 2026 continues to grow; Albania’s RTSH has confirmed to ESCToday that they will be present at the next edition!
Albania will participate in 2026
RTSH confirmed directly to ESCToday that they would return to Eurovision next year and that their national selection, Festivali i Këngës, will return. Their national final, which will again be held in December, has served as the kickoff for national final season for many years.
This confirmation comes off of a successful year for Albania; Shkodra Elektronike’s eighth-place finish is Albania’s third-best result since their debut, and their first time in the top ten in over a decade.
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 20 times, and made the final 10 times. They achieved their best result in 2012, where Rona Nishliu placed 5th with “Suus”.
Shkodra Elektronike represented Albania in the 2025 Contest in Basel with “Zjerm”. The duo made it to the Grand Final, where they ultimately finished in 8th place with 218 points. 173 of these came from the televote, while the remaining 45 points came from the jury.
Who would you like to see in Albania’s next national final? Will they see a second consecutive year of success? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: ESCToday/RTSH
Photo Credit: Jakub Ratzka
Tim J 
Giwrgos Oiko