Albania: RTSH opens applications for Festivali i Këngës 65

Albanian national broadcaster RTSH has officially opened the application window for the 65th edition of Festivali i Këngës (FiK), its prestigious annual music competition. FiK 65 will more than likely serve as the national selection process for Albania’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2027. Artists and composers are now invited to submit their entries, hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous Albanian Eurovision stars.

RTSH has launched the call for submissions for Festivali i Këngës 65. The long-running festival is a beloved tradition in Albania and has consistently been used to select the country’s Eurovision entry since its debut in the contest.

Application Details and Rules

While specific deadlines for FiK 65 are expected to be confirmed by RTSH, based on previous editions, the submission window will run from 22-27 September 2026. Interested artists and composers should prepare their entries according to the following established rules, drawn from recent editions of the festival:

• Originality: All submitted songs must be new and must not have been publicly released or published before the contest.
• Length: Each entry should have a maximum duration of four minutes.
• Age Requirement: Performers must be at least 17 years old to participate.
• Submission Format: Applications must include the full song, an orchestral backing track with backing vocals (in MP3 format), the complete lyrics (in Word format), and detailed information about all songwriter(s) and singer(s) involved.
• AI Prohibition: In a move to preserve artistic authenticity, any songs created with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence will be automatically disqualified.
• First-time Applicants: Those applying to Festivali i Këngës for the first time are also required to attach a photo of the artist(s) with their submission.
• Language: The song must be in Albanian
• Nationality: The performing artist (singer), as well as the authors of the song (composer, poet, orchestrator) must be Albanian
• A performing artist in the capacity of a singer may participate in the festival with only one (1) song.
• An author of a musical composition may participate in the festival with no more than one (1) musical composition (song), including in this number co-authorships in this capacity (i.e. as a composer).

A dedicated selection committee will meticulously review all submitted entries to determine the acts that will compete in the live shows of Festivali i Këngës 65.

RTSH encourages all eligible artists and composers to submit their best work for consideration and contribute to the rich musical legacy of Festivali i Këngës.

Albania and RTSH are yet to officially confirm their participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2027. More details will be released in due time,