Albanian broadcaster RTSH has named Alfred Kaçinari and Shpëtim Saraçi as the Artistic Directors of the 65th edition of Festivali i Këngës.
Alfred Kaçinari and Shpëtim Saraçi will reunite to lead the artistic direction of the Albanian festival
Both are familiar faces at the long-running Albanian music festival. Kaçinari and Saraçi previously led its artistic direction together in 1999 and 2016. They have also each taken charge of the festival individually. Kaçinari served as Artistic Director in 2001 and 2003. Saraçi took on the role in 2011 and 2014.
The pair will now reunite for the 65th edition of Festivali i Këngës. RTSH will announce further details about this year’s festival in the coming months. RTSH has yet to confirm Albania’s participation in Eurovision 2027. However, Festivali i Këngës is expected to once again be used to select the country’s entry.
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, diaspora 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 history at Eurovision
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””.
Alis represented Albania in the 2026 Contest in Vienna with “Nân”. He made it to the Grand Final, where he ultimately finished in 13th place with 145 points. A total of 60 of these came from the jury, while the remaining 85 points came from the televote.
What do you hope to see from the 65th edition of Festivali i Këngës? Are there any previous acts you would like to see return to the festival? 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, Bluesky, and ZOOP for more information about Eurovision 2027!
News Source: RTSH
Photo Credit: RTSH
Mateo Perez Presmanes