Tonight, the grand final of the traditional  Festivali i Këngës 51 will be held in Pallati i Kongreseve, in Tirana. Festivali i Këngës  has  been the method and mechanism  used to select the Albanian Eurovision  representative since 2004. The show will start at 20:30 CET and will be hosted by Enkel Demi and Floriana Garo. 7 broadcasters from the Balkan area will broadcast tonight’s show: in Albania RTSH 1 & 2, Music channel of RTSH and Super-sonic TV, in Kosovo RTK and TV21, in FYROM ALSAT TV.

How to watch?

• Live on RTSH @ 20:30 CET
• Live on Radio Tirana 20:30 CET
• Webcast  1 RTSH (official ), Webcast  2,  Webcast  3

The show

After two semi-finals, 18 songs have qualified for tonight’s show. Below you can find the list of participant, who will compete tonight for the honor of representing the land of eagles at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden, including  former Albanian Eurovision representatives , Anjeza Shahini ( Albania 2004) en Kejsi Tola ( Albania 2009).

• Adrian Lulgjuraj &  Bledar Sejko – Identitet
• Hersi Matmuja – Kush ta dha këtë emër?
• Lynx – Si ty askush
• Anjeza Shahini – Love
• Kelly – Ylli im polar
• Bojken Lako – Lot… Jetë? Dashuri
• Valon Shehu – Nuk do të ndal
• Ani Çuedari – Më ler një ëndërr – This entry has been disqualified today by the organizers of the Festival.
  
• Flaka Krelani – Tek ti në shpirt
• Selami Kolonja – Ku je?
• Rosela Gjylbegu – Dëshirë
• Kejsi Tola – S’jemi më atje
• Vesa Luma – S’jam perfekt
• Dr Flori & Fabi – Jam ti!
• Merland Kademi – Këtu fillon parajsa
• Rezarta Smaja – Ti?
• Adrian Bujupi – I çmendur për ty
• Xheni & Enxhi Kumrija – Arti i një fundi

The jury

Just like in the previous editions there will be a professional jury to determine the winner of the festival. The lucky winner  will also get the golden ticket to Malmö. The jury  will consist of  7 members (4 members from the Albanian music industry and 3 members from international music scene).

1. Nicola Caligiore (Italy)
2. Joseph Mizzi (Malta)
3. Szilva Puspok (Hungary)
4. Sokol Shupo, composer, music professor in the Academy of Art
5. Justina Aliaj, singer and actress,  a participant at Festivali i Këngës 11
6. Zef Coba, composer
7. Petrit Ymeri, publisher

Interval acts

The well-known Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu will be a special guest at tonight’s Festivali i Këngës final. He will be accompanied on stage  by Shkelzen Doli, a well acclaimed violonist, who is part of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

The Azerbaijani duo Ell & Nikki,  the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest  winners will be the international interval act tonight.

The pop-jazz singer from Kosovo, Rona Nishliu represented Albania at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Baku. She finished 5th in the grand final with her entry called Suus.