RTSH, the Albanian public broadcaster, has confirmed the dates for Festivali i Këngës 60. This year will mark the 60th edition of the historic Albanian festival. The festival will take place slightly later than usual.
According to EurovisionAlbania, the dates for Festivali i Këngës 60 are as follows:
- Night 1 – December 27
- Night 2 – December 28
- Grand Final – December 29
The participants for this year’s festival, along with the format, have yet to be announced. Due to the pandemic, last year’s festival saw a number of changes to its format, its outdoor location and the dates it was held on.
The first nights saw the 24 participants perform their entries ‘Eurovision style’ with staging and a backing track. The second night saw them reform acoustic versions of their entries. After night two, six acts were eliminated ahead of the final night.
Details of the format and the entries are due to be revealed by RTSH in the coming weeks.
Albania at Eurovision 2021
In 2020, Albania was due to be represented by Arilena Ara with her song ‘Fall From the Sky‘. She had controversially won Festivali i Kenges 58 with “Shaj” the previous December, which had been translated to English for the contest.
However, RTSH opted to run a fresh contest for FIK 59, which Arilena did not return for. FIK 59 was a festival like no other, taking place outdoors in Tirana’s Italia Square in late December due to the pandemic. 26 participants became 25 when Manjola Nallbani contracted COVID-19 shortly before the festival. The first two nights were pre-recorded, with the final night being broadcast live on December 23.
Despite the challenges, Anxhela Peristeri triumphed with her entry “Karma”. Following a subtle revamp, the song remained in Albanian in Rotterdam, where she qualified from the second semi-final in 10th. She ultimately placed 21st in the Grand Final with 57 points.
Are you looking forward to Festivali i Këngës returning? Who would you like to see participate? Let us know! 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 follow us on Spotify and YouTube to see our reactions to the news in the run up to the 2022 national final season!
