Albania: Festivali i Këngës finalists selected

Albania's Festivali i Këngës #55 had it's second semi-final tonight, with 12 contestants singing live with the RTSH orchestra. The juries have selected the 14 qualifiers from the semi-finals to proceed in the final on Friday 23 December 2016. In the final the winner will be decided by a professional jury (60% of the votes) and a public jury (40% of the votes).

Festivali i Këngës - Finalists

Running order

1. Franc Koruni – "Macka" (The pussycat)
2. Lorela – "Me ty" (With you)
3. Xhesika Polo – "Eva jam unë" (I am Eva)
4. XUXI – "Metropol" (Metropoly)
5. Fabiola Agalliu & Agnesa Çavolli – "Shkon e vjen" (You come and go)
6. Dilan Reka – "Mos harro" (Don't forget)
7. Lindita Halimi – "Botë" (World)
8. Flaka Krelani – "Osiris" (Osiris)
9. Rezarta Smaja – "Pse prite gjatë" (Why did you wait so long?)
10. Edea Demaliaj – "Besoj në ëndrra" (I believe in dreams)
11. Yll Limani – "Shiu" (The rain)
12. LYNX – "Sot" (Today)
13. Orges Toçe – "Shi diamantësh" (Diamond rain)
14. Genc Salihu – "Këtu" (Here)

• Xhejni Lito – "Pritja" (The wait)
• Erlind Zeraliu – "Dhimbja e gëzmit" (The pain of joy)
• Festina Mejzini – "Atje lart" (Up there)
• Neki Emra – "Dashuri dhe urrejtje" (Love and hatred)
• Albulena Jashari – "Fjalët ia lë zemrës" (I leave the words to the heart)
• Classic Boys – "Dashuria për jetën" (The love for life)
• Elson Braha – "Edhe një herë" (One more time)
• Linda Rukaj – "Vija e lumit" (The course of the river)
• Luka & Serxhio Hajdini – "Koha plaket" (Time ages)
• Tiri – "Më zgjo" (Wake me up)

Festivali i Këngës #55

This year's Festivali i Këngës will again be held in December, with two semi-finals and one final:

• 21 December 2016: Semi-final 1
• 22 December 2016: Semi-final 2
• 23 December 2016: Final

Three juries have selected 14 songs to proceed to the final. There were three juries with different weight:

• Professional jury: Selects 8 finalists
• Public jury: Selects 3 finalists
• Media jury: Selects 3 finalists

The winner of Festivali i Këngës #55 – and the Albanian representative at Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine will be decided by the professional jury (60% of the votes) and the public jury (40% of the votes).

Festivali i Këngës is organized by the Albanian national broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH). Since its start in 1966, all artists have been asked to perform live, with a jury selecting the winner. Since 2003 the winner of the festival is Albania's representative to Eurovision Song Contest.

When Albania in 2004 finally applied EBU to participate in Eurovision Song Contest, they agree to let the winner of the country's most popular festival represent Albania.

Albania in Eurovision Song Contest

Since debuting in 2004, Albania has been participating in Eurovision Song Contest every year. Best result is a 5th place in 2012, where Rona Nishliu sang "Suus". Out of the 13 times Albania has participated, they have qualified for the Grand final 7 times.