Festivali i Këngës 61

It’s never too early for news about FiK! Just ask Albanian national broadcaster, RTSH, which has opened song submissions for its long-running song contest Festivali i Këngës. The June reveal is early: In previous years, RTSH has opened submissions in early to mid July. 

RTSH announced the details of its FiK61 submission process on its web site, and released this trailer on its social media platforms. 

In order to take part in FiK61, artists will need…

– The final sung version of the song (no more than 4 minutes long);

– The final version of the instrumental, with and without accompanying voices;

– Full text of the song;

– The names of the authors of the song, the lyricist and the composer;

– Artistic photos, biography of the singer or group, including other activities, awards and special honours.

While Festivali i Këngës predates Albania’s Eurovision Song Contest participation, it is not strictly a stand-alone National Final. In its trailer for FiK61, RTSH has not mentioned Eurovision 2023 as a potential opportunity for participating artists, like it did last year. 

In the released trailer, the Albanian national broadcaster has not mentioned when the song submission process will close. It also hasn’t mentioned when the song contest will take place.

But since JESC 2022 will take place on the 11th of December 2022, RTSH will likely stage the show the next weekend after JESC. 

Festivali i Këngës and Eurovision

Festivali i Këngës has been held annually since 1962 and is the longest-running TV show in Albania. In 2003, the festival began double duty as Albania’s national selection, with the winning song going on to represent Albania at Eurovision.

Festivali i Këngës entries are typically performed in Albanian. In some years, the song has been translated to English for the Eurovision version. FiK60 winner Ronela Hajati added English and some Spanish lyrics to her original Albanian-language entry “Sekret”.

Are you excited about Festivali i Këngës 61? Which artists you think will take part in the 61st edition of the show? Let us know in the comment section down below!

38 Comments
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esc_fl
esc_fl
1 year ago

Really hoping the FiK juries don’t get discouraged by Ronela’s result this year when choosing the next winner; Sekret was 6th this month in terms of YouTube views. Almost certain keeping the song entirely in Albanian with the revamp instrumental and keeping the performance closer to FiK would have sent her to the final.

Karim
Karim
1 year ago

After Albanian fans online bullying campaings who cares, this trash festival is serving nothing but dust from the shelf.

Thallo
Thallo
1 year ago

Imagine how much Albania would slay at Eurovision if they internally selected?

I think FiK isn’t the way to go for Albania anymore. I hope they shake things up and bring home a well-deserved win next year.

MonsieurMüller
MonsieurMüller
1 year ago
Reply to  Thallo

I totally agree with you!

sam
sam
1 year ago

“RTSH has not mentioned Eurovision 2023 as a potential opportunity for participating artists, like it did last year.”

does that mean there’s a chance FiK gets replaced by something like kenge magjike or another selection process this year? i honestly wouldn’t be surprised and as much as i enjoy FiK, i think switching their selection process to kenge magjike could do them wonders at eurovision. only time will tell, i guess!

sam
sam
1 year ago
Reply to  sam

wait i think i read that wrong. thought it said UNLIKE last year. still, an interesting thought if albania wants to move into a new phase at eurovision nonetheless

Midnight Gold
Midnight Gold
1 year ago

I don’t think Ronela would have qualified anyway, no matter how it would have been staged, simply because the ESC juries are not made up of OGAE members.

Vivian
Vivian
1 year ago

I’d find it nice to see a male Albanian representative again. Eugent is so far the only man who represented Albania who also qualified (Finished 11th as well, which was a fantastic result)

nikki
nikki
1 year ago

I hope not another ballad 🙁
Just because they sent something that they failed to qualify with in 2022, that shouldn’t discourage Albania from trying something new. As long as their revamped version of the chosen song isn’t damaging to them (in Ronela’s case, it was) and the stage isn’t an absolute mess, they’ll do great, I think. Anyway, best of luck!

Yudhistira Mahasena
1 year ago

Oh my, I would rather see talents like Klodian Kacani, Rezarta Smaja, Orgesa Zaimi, and Mirud return to the contest. Maybe Junior Eurovision alumnae like Igzidora Gjeta, Mishela Rapo, and Klesta Qehaja should try their luck in FiK 61.

MonsieurMüller
MonsieurMüller
1 year ago

Yes, Orgesa Zaimi!!!

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

The stagings/costumes from this festival should be the final thing that the artist uses/wears. If you get me, Ronela should have gone to Eurovision, for example, in the costume she was in and with a bit more of that original staging from the festival. A lot more people would have liked it. It looked like a disjointed mess on the stage at Eurovision.

Im so fab
Im so fab
1 year ago

Ronela was a bet for Albania. They wanted to check if it’s worth to send something else rathen than a (female screaming) ballad. And they failed.

The problem is, it’s not the song’s fault, but rather the fault of this messy and wtf stage. Albania should seriously hire some foreigners to do their live performance, like Baptiste last year.

Anyway, watch them send a ballad for the next 10 years.

Dawid
Dawid
1 year ago
Reply to  Im so fab

So they send woman screaming in pajamas while copulating on stage with dancers?

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago
Reply to  Im so fab

Well, the ballads have done them well. There haven’t been many non-qualifiers when they send a woman singing a ballad. 2012, 2019 and 2021 are examples of times when they’ve sent this formuliac stuff and its actually worked because it does show Albanian culture.

Rashad
Rashad
1 year ago

Best moment at this years Eurovision was showing the Albanian team as they realise they didn’t qualify, maybe don’t hype your own entry with bought views next year.

Oy oy
Oy oy
1 year ago

My kids thought it was kind of strange when what they assumed was the interval act opened the first semi final 🙂 Albania should maybe not rewamp their winner to something completed unrecognizable next year?

Colin
Colin
1 year ago

I hope that the new selection will be the stronger one than the previous one in a whole. It’s not like they had many songs that likely would have qualified to the finals. I could see Alban and Eldis going through, but I don’t see that either would’ve been as popular with the fandom as Ronela is. Moreover, I think they’d likely finish around the 17th place Albanian ballads usually end-up in. Which is much better than the one they got, but still probably not high enough for the most fans to go for “another Albanian ballad”. Good luck, Albania!

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

Albania should take note from how Serbia went about Eurovision this year. They’re another country that pretty much sends the same type (all be it high-quality) entries each year and get that 15th-17th place in the grand final each time.
This year, they sent something that was a complete concept from day one with staging and obvious televote appeal and got rewarded for it. Would LOVE Albania to really send something that stands out in the same way.

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

Serbia really set an example of how to push the envelope in the right direction. I’d put both Eldis and Alban higher on my lists (I’m sure Eldis would’ve ended up in top 20, perhaps top 15 if the shortened version had cut verses sooner), but I feel like the fandom is getting immune to Albania’s efforts of sending a good belting ballad with ethnic instrumentals. A thing that would also help immensely is to try to modernize and finish the instrumental backing track of all songs before FiK. In a way that for once they don’t need a revamp… Read more »

MizuGabi
MizuGabi
1 year ago

I hope Noisy representing in the National Selection. ?

Lady
Lady
1 year ago
Reply to  MizuGabi

Oh god please no noise. I want something rock or ethnic group for Albania next year.

Jeni
Jeni
1 year ago

Spoiler Alert: It will be Alban Ramosaj! He confirmed he is coming back.

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeni

YES!!!!

Jofty
Jofty
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeni

It might be better for him next year. Perhaps fewer attractive male balladeers for him to compete with.

Thallo
Thallo
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeni

Another scream-y ballad from Alban… groundbreaking.

esc_fl
esc_fl
1 year ago
Reply to  Jeni

I loved Theje; here’s hoping he and the other FiK participants amp up their game this year!

Me Me
Me Me
1 year ago

So Albania will be back to sending a screeching female ballad to ESC as before since Sekret flopped.

Jesper Hjellnes
Jesper Hjellnes
1 year ago

I wonder if Albania will try a more modern ethnic pop again, or go back to the usual ballads. I think Secret had potential, but the performance was not good. But I’ve also liked all of Albania’s recent ballads so I wouldn’t mind it.

Ben R
Ben R
1 year ago

I hope it’s not another ballad

Colin
Colin
1 year ago

There are third options as well – rap, disco, opera, hip-hop, techno, metal, rock, punk, ect. It’s not like the Balkan countries need to be stuck between the ethnopop – ethnic ballad dichotomy. In Corpore Sano is the best example how to succeed by being creative.

Giolo
Giolo
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

Exactly, I totally agree with this, Colin. In FiK60, for me Theje eas the best option and a potetnial top 15, while Sekret was a Borderline qualifier at best, but that’s not because Albania must be stuck with sending ballads, a ballad was simply the most competitive choice that time. And I’d really like Albania to try something new and different like Serbia does every year (2018 Electro folk, 2019 Balkan Ballad, 2021 Summer bop, 2022 idk which genre is In Corpore Sano ahah)

esc_fl
esc_fl
1 year ago
Reply to  Giolo

In Corpore Sano is its own genre XD

Gino
Gino
1 year ago

alban cant not sing live

Jack
Jack
1 year ago

Lets see who will chosen only to destroy his/her chances on stage next year. Albania should hire someone who knows how to stage Eurovision entries.

PP77
PP77
1 year ago
Reply to  Jack

They hired in 2021 Sasha Jean Baptiste from Sweden for staging

Jack
Jack
1 year ago
Reply to  PP77

In 2021 they had the staging but not the song. In 2022 they had the song but not the staging

Giolo
Giolo
1 year ago
Reply to  Jack

In 2022 they had the song but left it in NF: Theje. I said since day 0 Sekret was too messy and wasm’t going anywhere