'Festivali i Këngës' chooses Albina & Familja Kelmendi for Albania
23 December 2022 at 00:49 CETThey become the 6th confirmed participant of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, following in the footsteps of Noa Kirel (Israel), Andrew Lambrou (Cyprus), Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper (Netherlands), Joker Out (Slovenia), and TVORCHI (Ukraine).
This year, the show's overall winner was picked by the Festivali i Këngës juries - that was Elsa Lila with her song Evita - however, the act winning the chance to represent Albania at Eurovision next year had to win the public vote, and so Albina & Familja Kelmendi win the ticket to Liverpool.
Like TVORCHI, it’s expected that Albina & Familja Kelmendi will take their national final song to Eurovision 2023, though revamps cannot be ruled out, and we expect a final confirmation in 2023.
Festivali i Këngës is one of Europe’s longest running competitions and broadcasts - having started life on Albanian radio in 1962 it has evolved over its 61 years into one of Radio Televizioni Shqiptar’s most innovative and prestigious shows.
Festivali i Këngës (affectionately known by fans as 'FiKmas’ thanks to its traditional broadcast slot coinciding with the holiday season) saw 26 acts compete.
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