It appears that this year the structure of Festivali i Këngës 61 (FiK) may break from tradition to include a televoting option in the result. If true, this would be the second time that the festival has utilized a public televote since Albania entered Eurovision in 2004. The first time occurred during Festivali i Këngës 55, where the public vote decided 1/13th of the final result.
The OGAE club’s post does not indicate how much weight this public televote will hold during the FiK final, or if the result will still include a jury panel. But what the post does indicate is that “the public will have their say”. OGAE Albania mantains a very close relationship with broadcaster RTSH and have often announced news for the country on their behalf.
Many fans of the contest know that Festivali i Këngës is a traditional festival of music in Albania, and has been operating since 1962. To this day, the show continues to feature a full orchestra, a massive theater stage, and a requirement of evening attire similar to the Sanremo festival in Italy. Modern editions will feature three shows, with at least one semi-final and a final show. Last year RTSH elected not to utilize a two semi-final structure in celebration of the festival’s 60th anniversary, opting instead to bring back former FiK participants to perform duets alongside FiK 60 contestants.
What else we know about FiK 61
Submissions for FiK 61 are currently open and will close on September 30th – any interested artist can find the submission requirements on the official FiK61 website. OGAE Albania also reported that Arbana Osmani is set to host the festival this December, with Flori Mumajesi serving as Artistic Director and Osmani’s husband Eduart Grishaj as the Stage Manager. Osmani is one of the most loved Television personalities in the country, and is best known for her time hosting Big Brother Albania and Top Fest on Top Channel.
Mumajesi is also highly sought out in Albania, being regarded as one of the most successful composers in the country and Albanian-speaking world. He formerly participated in FiK 38 with the boyband “The Dreams” and went on to win Kënga Magjike in 2018 as a solo artist. He has served as a songwriter and producer for a number of big Albanian artists and former Eurovision artists such as Eneda Tarifa, Kejsi Tola, Dhurata Dora, Tuna, and Elvana Gjata. Most recently he collaborated with Eneda Tarifa on her Kënga Magjike entry “Ma zgjat dorën”, which won the 2019 contest.
How much say do #YOU want in Festivali i Këngës 61? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our discord, or on our forum page!
