Albania’s Festivali i Këngës 2025: Voting System and Contestant Lineup Announced


8 October 2024 at 4:16 PM

By Laurentiu Ion



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Albania’s national broadcaster, RTSH, recently revealed key details about the upcoming 63rd edition of “Festivali i Këngës” which will once again serve as the platform to select the country’s representative for Eurovision 2025. Among the 30 artists set to compete, familiar names like Elvana Gjata, Mal Retkoceri, and Orgesa Zaimi are making a return, adding excitement to the competition.

Notably, RTSH has introduced a significant change to the selection process: for the first time, the Eurovision representative will be chosen based on a combination of jury voting (60%) and public televoting (40%). This marks a departure from recent years, where the Eurovision participant was selected by public vote alone, while the festival winner was determined solely by a jury panel.

The 63rd edition of “Festivali i Këngës” continues Albania’s tradition of using the festival as the national selection for Eurovision, a practice that began in 2003. Historically, Albania’s Eurovision representatives from 2004 to 2022 were selected solely by a jury, but for the past two years, the public vote determined the Eurovision artist independently of the festival winner. This dual system resulted in instances where the winner of the festival did not represent Albania at Eurovision. With the new mixed voting approach, RTSH is ensuring that the festival champion will now also be Albania’s representative at Eurovision.

This year, 84 songs were submitted for the competition, a number consistent with previous editions. However, there’s a notable difference in eligibility this time: only Albanian songwriters or those holding Albanian citizenship were allowed to submit entries. Last year saw entries from international songwriters hailing from countries such as Kosovo, North Macedonia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, and the United States.

Among the 30 contestants, several have a history with the festival. Mal Retkoceri, who won the 2023 edition with “Çmendur,” returns, though he didn’t represent Albania at Eurovision due to the previous selection process. Elvana Gjata, a renowned Albanian singer, is back after her notable performances in 2004 and 2020, where she placed second with “Me tana.” Another well-known participant is Orgesa Zaimi, who served as a backing vocalist for Albania’s Eurovision entry in 2009 and has competed in multiple editions of “Festivali i Këngës.”

Other returning artists include Gjergj Kaçinari, who has been a finalist in the last three editions, and Devis Xherahu, who has also been a consistent presence at the festival since 2008. Meanwhile, Kleansa Susaj, who competed in Junior Eurovision national selections and advanced to the final of the 2023 competition, is among the younger participants. The lineup also features Santino De Bartolo, a 2024 national selection competitor, and Shkodra Elektronike, a musical ensemble that reached third place in 2023 with the song “E jemja nuse.”

The festival is expected to take place in December, though the exact dates are yet to be confirmed. In addition to the competition itself, RTSH has announced a special “Nostalgia Evening” to celebrate Albania’s 20th anniversary at Eurovision. This event will honor the country’s long-standing tradition in the festival, which has been held annually since 1961.

As always, the festival’s contestants will perform in Albanian, though the winning artist has the option to perform in English at Eurovision, a decision that has been exercised by past representatives, including Besa in 2024 with her song “Titan.”

With the changes to the selection process and the return of familiar faces, this year’s “Festivali i Këngës” promises to be an exciting celebration of Albanian music and talent as it continues its role in shaping the nation’s Eurovision legacy.

Remember that the contestants for the 63rd edition of “Festivali i Këngës” are:

  1. Algert Sala
  2. Alis Kallacej
  3. Ardit Çuni
  4. Devis Xherahu
  5. Djemtë e Detit
  6. Elvana Gjata
  7. Endrik Beba
  8. Epos Grup
  9. Erma Mici
  10. Frensi Revania
  11. Gjergj Kaçinari
  12. Gresa Gjocera
  13. Jet
  14. Kejsi Jazzhzi
  15. Kleansa Susaj
  16. Laurjan Ejlli ft Adelina Corraj
  17. Lorenc Hasrama
  18. Luna Çausholli
  19. Mal Retkoceri
  20. Martina Serreqi
  21. Mihallaq Andrea
  22. Nita Latifi
  23. Olsi Bylyku
  24. Orgesa Zaimi
  25. Rea Nuhu
  26. Ronaldo Mesuli
  27. Santino De Bartolo
  28. Shkodra Elektronike
  29. Stine
  30. Vesa Smolica

Category: 🇨🇭 Basel 2025


Laurentiu Ion

Digital Content Creator