RTSH, the Albanian national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday that Albania will participate at the forthcoming 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, in Ukraine.

Festivali i Kenges will be yet again the mechanism used to select the 2017 Albanian entry for Kyiv.

In 2016 Albania selected its Eurovision act via its annual song festival Festivali i Kenges. Eneda Tarifa won the 2015 Festivali i Kenges and was awarded the golden ticket to represent Albania at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm with her enty Fairytale.

Albania debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004 with Anjeza Shahini and is yet to win the event. The country achieved its best result in the competition in 2012 with Rona Nishliu‘s Suus, placing 5^th.

With Albania in the house, 30  countries have so far confirmed their intention to participate at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.

The period for countries to apply for participation at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest concluded on 15 September. Hereafter applicant countries have a grace period until 10 October to decide if they are to stay or not in the competition without facing a financial penalty.

The final and confirmed list of the ESC 2017 participating countries is expected to be released by the EBU by late December/early January.

The 2017 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held at the IEC in Kyiv on 9, 11 and 13 May.