Celebrated Albanian singer Elhaida Dani, known for her remarkable contributions to light music, has been named the Artistic Director of this year’s Festivali i Këngës at Radiotelevizioni Shqiptar (RTSH). This collaboration is set to last for over a year, bringing fresh energy and experience to the festival.
The announcement was made by RTSH General Director Alfred Peza, who expressed his excitement about Dani’s involvement. “Elhaida’s arrival is wonderful news for me, the staff, and the public. Her extraordinary career, marked by victories in numerous music competitions, will undoubtedly add value to the festival. She will be working alongside Bojken Lako, the director of last year’s festival, which was one of the best RTSH has ever produced,” said Peza.
Elhaida Dani, who has won numerous music competitions both domestically and internationally, shared her enthusiasm for her new role. “It is a great pleasure and responsibility. I was born and grew up at the RTSH Festival, and thanks to this festival, I also stepped on the Eurovision stage. I know what this Festival means for Albanian artists. I know the importance. I will give my best in this Festival, but also in the next ones. It is a golden opportunity to show Albania the best values. We are aiming to choose a team as professional as possible, as serious as possible, to do a great job for this Festival and the next ones,” commented Dani.
Elhaida Dani’s musical journey is rich and illustrious. She first gained widespread recognition by winning ‘Star Akademi’ in 2009 and later took home the first prize at Top Fest in 2012. Her connection to Festivali i Këngës is profound, having competed in 2011 with the song ‘Mijëra vjet’, which won the ‘Best Melody’ award, and in 2014, she won the festival, subsequently representing Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song “I’m Alive.”
Her career reached new heights in 2013 when she won ‘The Voice of Italy,’ outperforming many talented Italian artists. This victory opened doors to international stages, partly thanks to her mentor, the singer and composer Riccardo Cocciante. Elhaida went on to play the pivotal role of Esmeralda in the musical “Notre Dame de Paris,” performing on some of the world’s most prestigious stages to great acclaim.
RTSH has utilized Festivali i Këngës as Albania’s selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest since the country’s debut in the competition. This year, the festival will celebrate Albania’s 20 years in Eurovision with a special ‘Nostalgia Night.’ While it is anticipated that Festivali i Këngës will again select Albania’s Eurovision 2025 representative, RTSH has not yet made formal announcements regarding the next year’s contest.
