Stores are selling baubles, overly keen people already have lights on their houses, and Band Aid can almost be heard in the distance — which means one thing and one thing only. It’s nearly FiKmas, guys! Festivali i Këngës 57 is around the corner, and we can almost hear that orchestra getting ready, and this year’s edition has some big changes planned.
As the national final season builds, we’re getting more news about Albania’s show that will decide Eugent Bushpepa’s successor. Let’s not forget that Eugent got Albania’s third best result ever, so those are some big shoes to fill!
Today in a press conference in Tirana, the team at RTSH announced some changes aimed at making the show more accessible to younger viewers. Artistic Director Inva Mula said:
“My objective is to restore the freshness, the enthusiasm of the Song Festival on RTSH to a public who, perhaps for many reasons, is disconnected. We want them to look back and have the desire to attend the Festival and perhaps to sing along with the most beautiful songs. For this reason, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, we will established a group with the best students of the 15 high schools of Tirana. They will follow the songs and will become a jury that will evaluate the best song.”
Getting the youth vote
FiK57 is getting the kids involved as a whole other jury, and this isn’t the only trick they’re using to make the show more accessible to younger viewers.
In the first show on December 20th, songs will be performed with the traditional FiK orchestra. The second programme a day later, however, will see the songs performed in a Eurovision-style arrangement and will make use of staging techniques. In the final we can expect a more traditional FiK experience.
Of course, the second part of the festival is what intrigues us most. With RTSH opting for a more Eurovision-based plan, we’ll get a vibe for the performance in Tel Aviv.
FiK voters will get a feel for the song as both a potential Eurovision entry as well as a FiK winner. In the past, Albania has been criticised for “de-vamping” FiK winning songs for their Eurovision version. Now FiK entries will need to have all that figured out in advance.
While last year full songs and music video were released before the shows, this time we won’t hear the whole songs before the live shows. Much like Melfest, Festivali i Këngës 57 will give us clips beforehand, to build excitement for the live performance. We won’t be able to make our top lists before the show, but it will certainly bring more impact to the beginning of Eurovision 2019’s national final season!
The competing acts for Festvali i Këngës 57 were released earlier in October and include returning favourites, veterans and newcomers.
What do you think? How do will these differences affect the show? Sound off below, and get super excited for FiKmas with us!
Read more Albania Eurovision news here
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Albanians are very picky when it comes to their TV shows and they are quick to switch the channel to Italian TV or movie channels if they don’t like something, but for some reason FIK has endured in their interests despite being considered generally old school. Other stations have tried to put major shows when FIK was airing, and this contest still did very well in relation to them. I think what they are trying to do is preserve the quality, while also adding in the “Eurovision night” for the people that like the more modern stuff, and to make… Read more »
Very good changes imo!! They should allow artists to not use the orchestra though, it just sounds awful with some songs. (i remember “Perjete”, a masterpiece, being ruined as she had to shout-sing over the loud drums)
Sounds like an interesting concept for the shows, provided there are some good songs competing, of course. I think it’s only natural the public is disconnected when your jury usually consists of a bunch of geriatrics and you cannot be too sure how neutral the voting really is. Bringing students to the jury seems like a good step. Normally I’d vote for 100% televoting but I’m not sure if that would work better in Albania. With a low turnout to be expected, someone can easily manipulate the voting by buying votes, too.
The only thing they need to do is open the televote and give it 50% weight.
Hmmm! Would it have changed the 2017 winner if it were 100% televote?
Yes, the televote winner was “Shiu”, which was a stunning song imo. Lindita was great too but not a very immediate sound sadly
I meant if it were 50%!! I loved shiu too
I think the jury had given an unassailable lead to lindita
Aargh! I like looking at the tops on YouTube! It has to wait longer this year then
Eurovision-style songs? Someone’s got ideas from the BBC
Nope. It means tha they’d stage the songs similar to how it is done on Eurovision.
,,Eurovision-Style performance” Yaaas, bring us Dustin the Turkey, Albania. You can do it!
Not sure about the changes, but they really need to modernise the jury panel. LYNX not qualifying to the final last year was just atrocious.
and please we need more “Boom Boom” moments. “aaaaaaaaah aaaaaaah”
Omg lmaooo that was just…
I didn’t understand 🙁
Search “Ergi Bregu – Bum Bum”
That performance is hilariously tragic….lmao
Best part about it is Elton’s smirk when she starts the refrain hahaha
It’s FiKmas! I’m so excited ! I like the changes too.