| Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) | |||
| Country |  Albania | |||
| Selection process | Festivali i Këngës 64 | |||
| Selection date | 20 December 2025 | |||
| Competing entry | ||||
| Song | "Nân" | |||
| Artist | Alis | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Placement | ||||
| Semi-final result | Qualified (7th, 158 points) | |||
| Final result | 13th, 145 points | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
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Albania was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Nân", written by Alis Kallaçi and Desara Gjini, and performed by Alis himself. The Albanian participating broadcaster, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), selected its entry through its national selection competition Festivali i Këngës.
Albania was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 14 May 2026 and was later selected to perform in position 13. At the end of the show, "Nân" was announced among the top 10 entries of the second semi-final and hence qualified to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Albania placed seventh out of the fifteen participating countries in the semi-final with 158 points. In the final, Albania performed in position 5 and placed thirteenth out of the 25 participating, scoring a total of 145 points. This marked Albania's fifth highest placement in the contest.
Background
Prior to the 2026 contest, Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Albania 21 times since its first entry in 2004. Its highest placing in the contest, to this point, had been fifth place, which was achieved in 2012 with the song "Suus" performed by Rona Nishliu. It accomplished its second-highest placement at its first appearance in 2004, with "The Image of You" performed by Anjeza Shahini finishing seventh. During its tenure in the contest, the nation failed to qualify for the final eight times. In 2025, "Zjerm" performed by Shkodra Elektronike qualified for the final and placed eighth.[1]
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, RTSH broadcasts the event in Albania and organises Festivali i Këngës, an annual music competition which has been consistently used as its national selection format since its 2004 debut.[1] On 10 June 2025, RTSH confirmed its intention to participate in the 2026 contest, announcing that Festivali i Këngës would again be used to select its entry.[2]
Before Eurovision
Festivali i Këngës 64
The Albanian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 was selected during the 64th edition of Festivali i Këngës, an annual music competition in Albania organised by RTSH at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. The event took place between 17 and 20 December 2025 and was hosted by Arilena Ara and Salsano Rrapi.[3][4] The broadcaster opened an application period for interested artists and composers to submit their applications on 1 September 2025, lasting until 30 September 2025,[5] and ultimately selected 28 contestants.[6]
Final
The final took place on 20 December 2025. The winner, "Nân" by Alis, was selected by a 50/50 combination of votes from a seven-member jury and a public televote.[7]
| R/O | Artist | Song | Jury | Televote | Total | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gerta Mahmutaj | "Në krahët e tu" | 0 | 7 | 7 | 16 |
| 2 | Lynx | "Nuk kthehem pas" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 3 | Frensi | "Tresh" | 22 | 0 | 22 | 11 |
| 4 | Evi Reçi | "Kodi i jetës" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 5 | Rezarta Smaja | "Balukeprera" | 15 | 0 | 15 | 13 |
| 6 | Rigersa Loka | "Albanian Heart" | 5 | 0 | 5 | 17 |
| 7 | Vedat Ademi | "Kur fjala mbaron" | 42 | 21 | 63 | 5 |
| 8 | Erik Lloshi | "Dy pika dashuri" | 4 | 0 | 4 | 18 |
| 9 | Kleansa Susaj | "Hije" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 10 | Sara Kapo | "Të dua shumë" | 6 | 49 | 55 | 6 |
| 11 | Sheila | "Zemra e tokës" | 65 | 28 | 93 | 3 |
| 12 | Savjana Vjerdha | "Dimër për dimër e vjeshtë për vjeshtë" | 11 | 0 | 11 | 14 |
| 13 | 2Farm | "Valle mbi hi" | 10 | 42 | 52 | 8 |
| 14 | Kamela Islamaj | "Pa pretendime" | 4 | 0 | 4 | 18 |
| 15 | Gresa Gjocera and Bledi Kaso | "Busulla e zemrës" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 16 | Inis Neziri | "Ta kam fal" | 32 | 70 | 102 | 2 |
| 17 | Lorenc Hasrama | "Lamtumirë" | 10 | 0 | 10 | 15 |
| 18 | Endri Kaçaçi | "Si unë" | 40 | 14 | 54 | 7 |
| 19 | Luna Çausholli | "Pa kufij" | 1 | 35 | 36 | 9 |
| 20 | Alis | "Nân" | 68 | 84 | 152 | 1 |
| 21 | Ghiti | "Okej!" | 17 | 0 | 17 | 12 |
| 22 | Enxhi Nasufi | "Dritë" | 25 | 0 | 25 | 10 |
| 23 | Fifi and Tiri Gjoci | "Rri" | 29 | 56 | 85 | 4 |
At Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 took place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and consisted of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026. All nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom) were required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progressed to the final. On 12 January 2026, an allocation draw was held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country performed in; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot.[9] Albania was scheduled for the second half of the second semi-final.[10]
Voting
Points awarded to Albania
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Points awarded by Albania
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Detailed voting results
Each participating broadcaster assembles a seven-member jury panel consisting of music industry professionals who are citizens of the country they represent and two of which have to be between 18 and 25 years old. Each jury, and individual jury member, is required to meet a strict set of criteria regarding professional background, as well as diversity in gender and age. No member of a national jury was permitted to be related in any way to any of the competing acts in such a way that they cannot vote impartially and independently.[13] The individual rankings of each jury member as well as the nation's televoting results were released shortly after the grand final.
The following members comprised the Albanian jury:[12]
- Armand Broshka
- Aulon Naçi
- Sokol Marsi
- Eriona Rushiti
- Fjodora Fjota
- Inis Neziri
- Luna Çausholli
| R/O | Country | Jury | Televote | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juror A | Juror B | Juror C | Juror D | Juror E | Juror F | Juror G | Rank | Points | Rank | Points | ||
| 01 |  Bulgaria | 13 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 12 |
| 02 |  Azerbaijan | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 14 | ||
| 03 |  Romania | 11 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| 04 |  Luxembourg | 7 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | ||
| 05 |  Czechia | 5 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 12 | |
| 06 |  Armenia | 10 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 13 | |
| 07 |  Switzerland | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 2 | |
| 08 |  Cyprus | 2 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| 09 |  Latvia | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 1 | |
| 10 |  Denmark | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 10 |
| 11 |  Australia | 8 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 12 |  Ukraine | 1 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| 13 | Albania | |||||||||||
| 14 |  Malta | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 6 |
| 15 |  Norway | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| R/O | Country | Jury | Televote | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juror A | Juror B | Juror C | Juror D | Juror E | Juror F | Juror G | Rank | Points | Rank | Points | ||
| 01 | Denmark | 9 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 | |
| 02 |  Germany | 16 | 22 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 10 | 20 | 17 | ||
| 03 |  Israel | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| 04 |  Belgium | 21 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 8 | 19 | 24 | 17 | 23 | ||
| 05 | Albania | |||||||||||
| 06 |  Greece | 11 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 07 | Ukraine | 23 | 19 | 18 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 4 | 7 | |
| 08 | Australia | 12 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| 09 |  Serbia | 17 | 14 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 8 | 3 | |
| 10 | Malta | 5 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 15 | |
| 11 | Czechia | 7 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 13 | |
| 12 | Bulgaria | 1 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| 13 |  Croatia | 8 | 12 | 19 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 2 | |
| 14 |  United Kingdom | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 15 | 24 | 21 | ||
| 15 |  France | 2 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | |
| 16 |  Moldova | 13 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 24 | 8 | 23 | 16 | 16 | ||
| 17 |  Finland | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 1 | |
| 18 |  Poland | 4 | 11 | 7 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 20 | 14 | 19 | ||
| 19 |  Lithuania | 19 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 24 | ||
| 20 |  Sweden | 20 | 18 | 10 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 18 | ||
| 21 | Cyprus | 14 | 23 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 12 | ||
| 22 |  Italy | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 12 |
| 23 | Norway | 18 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 20 | |
| 24 | Romania | 15 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 6 | 5 | |
| 25 |  Austria | 22 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 7 | 18 | 22 | ||
References
- "Albania – Participation history". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 3 May 2026.
- Granger, Anthony (10 June 2025). "🇦🇱 Albania: RTSH Confirms Eurovision 2026 Participation". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- Godolja, Besmir (14 October 2025). "'Nuk ka ndere shoqërore', Elhaida Dani zbulon surprizat e këtij edicioni të Festivalit në RTSH" ["There is no social honor", Elhaida Dani reveals the surprises of this edition of the Festival on RTSH] (in Albanian). Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH). Retrieved 16 December 2025.
- Quku, Bardhi (16 December 2025). "Nga juria, të ftuarit dhe këngëtarët. Prezantuesit Salsano Rrapi dhe Arilena Ara zbulojnë çfarë do të ndodhë në Fest '64" [From the jury, guests and singers. Presenters Salsano Rrapi and Arilena Ara reveal what will happen at Fest '64] (in Albanian). RTSH. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
- "Festivali i 64-t i Këngës në RTSH, hapet thirrja për artistët" [The 64th Song Festival at RTSH, the call for artists opens] (in Albanian). RTSH. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
- Godolja, Besmir (13 October 2025). "Kjo është LISTA e konkurrentëve për Fest 64! Surpriza mes emrave të njohur dhe të rinj" [This is the LIST of competitors for Fest 64! Surprises among well-known and new names] (in Albanian). RTSH. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
- Farren, Neil (20 December 2025). "Albania: Alis to Eurovision 2026". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- Granger, Anthony (20 December 2025). "Tonight: Albania Selects for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026". Eurovoix. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
- "The Semi-Final Draw for Vienna 2026: All you need to know". Eurovision.com. EBU. 6 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- "Vienna 2026: Semi-Final Draw results". Eurovision.com. EBU. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- "Voting data". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- "Voting data". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- "How the Eurovision Song Contest works". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 22 May 2024.