It’s the first national final of the Eurovision 2021 season. Now the 59th edition of Albania’s Festivali i Këngës reportedly has broadcast dates. The show will screen over three nights, from 21 to 23 December.
While broadcaster RTSH has not confirmed any details of when FiK 59 will screen, the dates have been revealed by Eurovision Albania — the Albanian branch of the OGAE fan network.
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The festival will begin with the first night on Monday 21 December, followed by the second night on Tuesday 22 December, and concluding with the grand final on Wednesday 23 December.
It hasn’t been confirmed if the three Festivali i Këngës shows will be broadcast live or if they will be recorded earlier in the week and played out later. Earlier speculation suggested that the shows would be prerecorded earlier in the week, with only the grand final voting and results broadcast live.
Festivali i Këngës 59 stage is under construction
Eurovision Albania also shared photos of the outdoor FiK 59 stage. The stage is currently under construction at Sheshi Italia (Italy Square) in downtown Tirana.
FiK59🇦🇱 staging is getting ready this monday. we hope we getting the final this week 😍🥰
📷 eurovision albania pic.twitter.com/VLo52oqICf— igli🇦🇱 (@iamiglilime) December 14, 2020
RTSH has also shared photos on its Instagram stories of the festival competitors rehearsing on the stage.
The move to an open-air location has been done following prevailing health advice — from the likes of the World Health Organisation — which says outdoor locations reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
Performers can have no more than seven people on stage, including the artist. FiK 59 will also not involve the usual live orchestra.
Twenty-six artists will compete in the show, including familiar names like Orgesa Zaimi, Era Rusi, Mirud, and Inis Neziri. Festivali i Këngës will also be a mix of returning artists such as Anxhela Peristeri, Rosela Gjylbegu, Erik Lloshi and newcomers like Sardi Strugaj, Giglioala Haveriku, and Stefan Marena.
What do you think? Are you excited to see the new outdoor stage? Who would you like to see represent Albania in Rotterdam?
My top 25
1. Karma
2. Pendesë
3. Vajzë
4. Zjarri Im
5. Valixhja e kujtimeve
6. Njësoj
7. Ty
8. Meteor
9. Do t’ia dal
10. Jo
11. Vallja e jetës
12. Më mbron
13. E lirë
14. Më jep jetë
15. Vashëzo
16. Vesi i shpirti tim
17. Nëse vdes
18. Vendi Im
19. Kujtimet s’kanë formë
20. Ka me t’ba me kajt
21. Tjerr
22. Nënë
23. E morën botën
24. Kush je ti dashuri
25. Peng
Have you heard that ONLY studioversions will be used?. A VERY BAD CHOICE.
What time CET will it be broadcast for each day?
Most of the rehearshals snippets are up on youtube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjJVGOiLHLJAS-3xjnROsvV1VxYyjSPxA
I’m hoping Manjola was still able to rehearse
She withrew as i heard
For me all 26 songs were listenable to varying degrees and I’m really excited to see who represents Albania in Rotterdam! My top 26 (any of songs 1-6 would be great in Rotterdam): 1. Jo 2. Pendesë 3. Njësoj 4. Vashëzo 5. Zjarri im 6. Nesë vdes 7. E lirë 8. Tjerr 9. Do t’ia dal 10. E morën botën 11. Karma 12. Meteor 13. Më mbron 14. Ora e jetës 15. Vajzë 16. Valixhja e kujtimeve 17. Peng 18. Vesi i shpirtit tim 19. Vallja e jetës 20. Nënë 21. Kujtimet s’kanë formë 22. Ty 23. Kush je ti… Read more »
I’m glad I’m not the only one with “Jo” as my first choice!
I do like “Jo” and I think that the chorus in particular is really impactful, but I just think such songs should not represent a country in Eurovision. The subject matter is just really problematic, and I think Albania can do better than sending an anti-abortionist song. (“Jo” means no, and the lyrics are being told from the perspective of a fetus in the womb “begging” the mother to refrain from aborting and saying no to abortion and yes to life.)
Embarassingly, I wasn’t aware of the nature of its lyrics. I completely agree with you and I can’t support this entry anymore. Not just because I’m pro-choice, but especially because I feel the emotional manipulation of its lyrics distasteful and disrespectful to all the women that went through that personal drama on their lives. The fact it’s written and performed by men also doesn’t happen its case, since in many places women still don’t have a voice about the issue.
Guess I’m now the only one again who likes the song…I’m going to “qaj” now XD 🙁
Once I’ve voted for an entry that had 4 votes in a poll here with hundres of people participating. It happens. 😀
I hope to get some surprise in Albania with the results and get some song which is not a ballad..
Now that several weeks have passed since the release of the songs, there are two acts that I would like to see representing Albania in Rotterdam:
1. Mirud with “Nëse vdes”
2. Inis Neziri with “Pendesë”
Another option may be Rosela Gjylbegu with “Vashëzo”.
The other songs are also good on their own way, but I just couldn’t connect with them, even after several listens.
Btw, both Inis and Mirud, especially, sounded very good in their rehearsals.
I hope that they come up with a great staging so that we can see one of them representing Albania.
“reportedly”??? that’s literally six days away lmao how is there no confirmation yet
Where can I watch it?
Last year I watched live downoading the RTSH TANI app on my phone…. hopefully the same this year?
Manjola has withdrawn because she couldn’t recover in time. Shame on you Corona, she was the best.
She likely did not. I can’t find one source claiming that. Not her Facebook page, not her Instagram account and not a Google search of her and the festival either. Where did you get that?
https://wiwibloggs.com/2020/12/01/manjola-nallbani-covid-19-festivali-i-kenges-59-albania/259243/
They deleted her song on RTSH YT channel… but who knows why? ?
I can only hope that it’s for a minor thing, like changing her thumbnail or re-uploading with different tags or something. I really hope that Manjola is doing okay and that her lovely voice will be heard at FiK. And even if she has withdrawn (nothing official yet), I just hope that she’ll be fine health-wise.
Her profile is still on the FIK website, though. Let’s just hope she’ll take part