It's Arilena Ara for Albania!

Handed to her by last year's Festival i Këngës winner Jonida Maliqi, Arilena Ara accepted the Festival i Këngës trophy and her ticket to Rotterdam 2020. The runner up was Elvana Gjata with Me tana and Sara Bajraktari took third place with her song Ajër.

Presented by Alketa Vejsiu, tonight's show included interval acts by guest stars Eleni Foureira and Giusy Ferreri. Arilena was chosen by an expert jury composed of Mikaela Minga (Albania), Christer Björkman (Sweden), Dimitris Kontopoulos (Greece), Felix Bergsson (Iceland) and Rita Petro (Albania).

See how the jury voted on RTSH's website.

About Arilena

Arilena Ara rose to fame after winning the second season of Albania's X Factor. The Shkodra singer has topped international rankings on networks such as Itunes for weeks with her song "Nëntori", one that earned her a ticket to the prestigious Europa Plus festival in Russia and Astana Dausy in Kazakhstan in 2016.

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Posted 22 December 2019 at 00:30 CET

After 2 semi-finals, the expert jury of Albanian national selection 'Festival i Këngës' has chosen the 12 finalists that will go on to the final on Sunday 22 December. One of these 12 acts will represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.

An international expert jury decided which 12 acts will go through to Sunday's final of Festivali i Këngës. The jury consisted of Swedish singer and tv producer Christer Björkman, Greek composer Dimitris Kontopoulos, Icelandic Head of Delegation Felix Bergsson, Albanian musicologist Mikaela Minga and Albanian poet Rita Petro.

Still in the running for Albania's ticket to Rotterdam are:

• Arilena Ara - Shaj
• Elvana Gjata - Me Tana
• Bojken Lako - Malaseen
• Sara Bajraktari - Ajër
• Kamela Islamaj - Më Ngjyros
• Era Rusi - Eja Merre
• Valon Shehu - Kutia e Pandorës
• Tiri Gjoci - Me Gotën Bosh
• Robert Berisha - Ajo Nuk Është Unë
• Olta Boka - Botë Për Dy
• Albërie Hadërgjonaj - Ku Ta Gjej Dikë Ta Dua
• Gena - Shqiponja e Lirë

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Posted 19 December 2019 at 23:30 CET

On Sunday 22 December, we will know who will represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 and succeed Jonida Maliqi. During the first semi-final of 'Festivali i Këngës', 10 artists gave it their all to qualify for Sunday's final of Albania's national selection. No qualifiers have been announced yet from the first semi-final, this will happen at the end of semi-final 2 on Friday 20 December.

Albania's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest kicked off on Thursday 19 December. In the first semi-final of Festivali i Këngës, 10 artists took to the stage and Italy's Eurovision 2019 participant Mahmood - who reached 2nd place in the Grand Final - performed as an interval act. An expert jury will decide which of the following artists will continue to this Sunday's national final:

• Nadia & Genc Tukiçi - Ju Flet Tirana
• Sara Bajraktari - Ajër
• Devis Xherahu - Bisedoj Me Serenatën
• Kanita - 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

On Friday 20 December, semi-final 2 of Festivali i Këngës will take place. These 10 artists will perform in the hope of qualifying for the final on Sunday 22 December:

• Kastro Zizo - Asaj
• Tiri Gjoci - Me Gotën Bosh
• Olta Boka - Botë Për Dy
• Era Rusi - Eja Merre
• Wendi Mancaku - Ende
• Robert Berisha - Ajo Nuk Është Unë
• Gena - Shqiponja e Lirë
• Arilena Ara - Shaj
• Eli Fara & Stresi - Bohem
• Valon Shehu - Kutia e Pandorës

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Posted 09 December 2019 at 18:00 CET

Albanian broadcaster RTSH has published the 20 entries that will compete in Festivali i Këngës, the Albanian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. One of these 20 songs will be performed on stage in Rotterdam in May 2020!

Festivali i Këngës is Albania's annual music competition to determine the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. The tv show will take place on 19, 20 and 22 December. During the final on 22 December, Albania will decide who gets to represent the country in Rotterdam in May 2020.

Listen to the songs

All 20 participants and their entries

• Albërie Hadërgjonaj - Ku Ta Gjej Dikë Ta Dua
• Arilena Ara - Shaj
• Aldo Bardhi - Melodi
• Bojken Lako - Malaseen
• Devis Xherahu - Bisedoj Me Serenatën
• Eli Fara & Stresi - Bohem
• Era Rusi - Eja Merre
• Elvana Gjata - Me Tana
• Gena - Shqiponja e Lirë
• Kamela Islamaj - Më Ngjyros
• Kanita - Ankth
• Kastro Zizo - Asaj
• Nadia & Genc Tukiçi - Ju Flet Tirana
• Olta Boka - Botë Për Dy
• Renis Gjoka - Loja
• Robert Berisha - Ajo Nuk Është Unë
• Tiri Gjoci - Me Gotën Bosh
• Valon Shehu - Kutia e Pandorës
• Sara Bajraktari - Ajër
• Wendi Mancaku - Ende

Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest

In 2019, Albania was represented by Jonida Maliqi with the song Ktheju Tokës. She finished 17th in the Grand Final.

Make sure to follow Festivali i Këngës on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date!