For the past two nights, the semi-finals of Festivali i Këngës took place in Tirana. Ten acts in each semi-final performed their entry in front of a jury, which whittled the entries down from twenty to twelve. The final of Festivali i Këngës will take place on Sunday.
The finalists from the two semi-finals are as follows, the entries highlighted are the ones that qualified for the final :
Semi-Final 1
- Nadia and Genc Tukiçi – Ju flet Tirana
- Sara Bajraktari – Ajër
- Devis Xherahu – Bisedoj me serenatën
- Kanita Suma – Ankth
- Kamela Islamaj – Më ngjyros
- Bojken Lako – Malaseen
- Elvana Gjata – Me tana
- Aldo Bardhi – Melodi
- Renis Gjoka – Loja
- Albërie Hadërgjonaj – Ku ta gjej dikë ta dua
Semi-Final 2
- Kastro Zizo – Asaj
- Tiri Gjoci – Me goten bosh
- Olta Boka – Bote per dy
- Era Rusi – Eja merre
- Wendi Mancaku – Ende
- Robert Berisha – Ajo nuk eshte une
- Gena – Shqiponja e Lire
- Eli Fara dhe Stresi – Bohem
- Arilena Ara – Shaj
- Valon Sheku – Kutia e Pandores
Ahead of the final on sunday, be sure to check out our team’s prediction for who will win Festivali i Këngës 58:
Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest
Albania debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2004 and has participated every year since. Anjeza Shahini was the first to fly the country’s flag at the contest with her song ‘The Image of You‘. She finished in a very respectable 7th place with 106 points.
Over the years, Albania qualified for the final on 8 occasions. So far, their best result is Rona Nishliu’s 5th place achieved in Baku in 2012 with her iconic ballad ‘Suus‘. Last year, Albania found success with Eugent Bushpepa and his song ‘Mall‘. He ended the night on 11th place with 184 points, giving Albania their third best result at the contest.
In Tel Aviv, Jonida Maliqi brought Albania its second consecutive qualification with ‘Ktheju Tökes’. Jonida qualified from the second semi-final in 9th place, and finished 17th overall in the Grand Final with 90 points.
Do you think the right acts advanced to the Final? Let us know in the comments and on social media @ESCXTRA. Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates. Also be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see our reactions to the news in the run up to Rotterdam!
