RTSH, the Albanian broadcaster has made some changes this year to the usual format of Festivali i Këngës, reducing the number of artists to 16. Also the festival dates have changed to 26,27 and 28.

Today, RTSH revealed the names of the 16 artists competing this year for a chance to represent Albania in Denmark. Quite a few familiar names to fans of Albanian Eurovision will return to Festivali i Këngës in December. Previous Eurovision Song Contest entrants include Frederik Ndoci (2007) and Luiz Ejlli (2006).

The semi-finals of FiK are scheduled for 26 and 27 December 2013 and the final will be transmitted from Tirana on 28 December. In each semi-final 8 songs will be performed and all the 16 songs will proceed to the final. What is new this year is that after each artist performs their entry, they will duet past festival entries with a “big” artist.

The competing acts for Festivali i Këngës 2013 are:

1. Ti mungon  – Marjeta Billo
2. Zemërimi i një nate  – Herciana Matmuja
3. Jeta në orën 4  – Orges Toce
4. Jam larg  – Besiana Mehmeti and Shkodran Tolaj
5. Grua  – Sajmir Braho
6. Nuk e di  – Renis Gjoka
7. Natë e pare  – Venera Lumani and Lindi Islami
8. Një ditë shprese  – Frederik Ndoci
9. Në zemër  – Rezarta Smaja
10. Mikja ime  – Blerina Braka
11. Me ty  – Klodian Kacani
12. Kur qielli qan  – Xhejn & Enxhi Kumrija
13. Kthehu  – Luiz Ejlli
14. Princesha  – Lynx
15. Vetëm për ty  – Saviana Verdha and Edmond Mancaku
16. Ëndërrat janë ëndërra – Xhejsi Jorgaqi