On the night of December 21, the first song for Eurovision 2026 will be determined: Albania will make its choice. The season of national selections will be opened by the Balkan country of Albania through its Festivali i Këngës.
- Number of performances: 21
- Country debut: 2004 (Anjeza Shahini - 'The Image Of You', seventh place)
- Best result: fifth place (Rona Nishliu - 'Suus', 2012)
- Last year's result: eighth place (Shkodra Elektronike - 'Zjerm')
Participants perform accompanied by a live orchestra, and the division of artists into newcomers and experienced artists is reminiscent of Sanremo in Italy. After a three-day selection, 23 performers made it to the final, among whom are the trio of favorites: Inis Neziri, Alis, and Fifi & Tiri Gjoci.
#1. Inis Neziri - 'Ta kam fal' ('I forgave you') - Inis Neziri can count on the support of Eurovision fans.
#2. Alis - 'Nën' ('Mom')
Alis has great popularity and will intrigue viewers with her song about mothers.
#3. Fifi & Tiri Gjoci - 'Rri' ('Stay')
Fifi has experience in television shows and can surprise the audience along with her partner.
Among the 'shadow' favorites, Sheila and Sara Kapo should be noted. Watch the final of Festivali i Këngës 64 at 10:00 PM on the RTSH YouTube channel.
Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands will boycott Eurovision 2026 due to controversies regarding Israel's participation. EBU is introducing new rules to enhance transparency and trust from viewers.
Albania is choosing its representative for Eurovision 2026 through the national selection Festivali i Këngës. The country is preparing to determine the winner among 23 participants, each presenting diverse songs and performances. Additionally, some countries have decided not to participate in the contest due to conflicting issues related to Israel's participation. In this way, Eurovision 2026 is facing some changes and challenges that raise questions about transparency and trust in the competition.