Alis has won the 64th edition of Festivali i Këngës with “Nân” and will rise the Albanian flag next May in Vienna!
Festivali i Këngës 64: The Final
The final was hosted by Arilena Ara, Albania’s Eurovision 2020 representative, and Salsano Rrapi, with artistic direction once again overseen by Elhaida Dani.
A total of 23 artists competed in tonight’s show, following three nights of performances throughout the week and a total of 5 eliminations.
Among the guest performers was Tommy Cash, Estonia’s representative at Eurovision 2025, who finished third in Basel.
Running order and results
How the winner was selected
The winner of Festivali i Këngës 64 was determined through a 50/50 split between:
- Professional jury (50%)
- Public vote (50%), open to viewers in Albania and Kosovo
The professional jury consisted of: Anila Basha, Belinda Budini, Bleona Qereti, Olen Cesar, Ramë Lahaj, Valentin Veizi and Zef Çoba.
With this result, Alis will carry Albania’s flag to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, marking the country’s next chapter on the Eurovision stage after Shkodra Elektronike‘s success last year.
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. This year, the jury and televote once again pick one overall winner, who will have the honour of representing the country in Eurovision.
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.
What do you think of Albania’s 2026 pick? 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: RTSH
Photo Credit: RTSH
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