Anjeza Shahini from Albania (ESC Istanbul 2004) Photo: eurovisionlive

Since 2004, this event has doubled as a national competition to select Albania’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, aligning with Albania’s debut in the ESC. Anjeza Shahini’s performance of „The Image of You“ earned an admirable 7th place in the Grand Final in Istanbul, signalling a bright start for a nation entering the competition for the first time.

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In last year’s competition in Malmö, Besa Kokëdhima could not convince with the song “Zemrën N’dorë” and did not qualify for the Grand Final and ultimately finishing in 15th place in the semi-final. Albania’s upcoming entry will signify its 21st appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest. Among the 20 previous participations, 11 successfully reached the Grand Final, with only two managing to secure a top 10 position. This suggests that the probability of Albania achieving a top 10 finish is approximately 18%, while the chances of qualifying for the Grand Final stand at around 55%.

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Albanian music, while not widely known outside its borders, finds a significant platform for exposure through the Eurovision Song Contest, reaching approximately 200 million viewers worldwide. Albania’s entries in the ESC typically blend traditional and folk elements, even in modern compositions. Often, songs undergo adaptation and refinement for the competition, with adjustments made to choruses and other elements to maximize impact. Adapting popular Albanian music to cater to European tastes poses a challenge, with songs often exceeding three minutes in the Albanian pre-selection stage, requiring editing and translation into English to resonate with European audiences.

Biggest successes

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1x 5th place   Rona Nishliu with „Suus“ (Baku 2012)

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1x 7th place  Anjeza Shahini with The Image Of You  (Istanbul 2004)

History

  • Debut: 2004
  • Participations: 20
  • Victories: 0
  • Finals: 11
  • Chances to reach the final: 55%
  • Top 10: 2
  • Chances to reach Top 10: 18%
  • Best place: 5
  • Last place: 0
# host city year performer song points place show
1 Istanbul 2004 Anjeza Shahini The Image Of You 106 7 final
2 Kyiv 2005 Ledina Celo Tomorrow I Go 53 16 final
3 Athens 2006 Luiz Ejlli Zjarr E Ftohtë 58 14 semi-final
4 Helsinki 2007 Aida & Frederik Ndoci Hear My Plea 49 17 semi-final
5 Belgrade 2008 Olta Boka Zemrën E Lamë Peng 55 17 final
6 Moscow 2009 Kejsi Tola Carry Me In Your Dreams 48 17 final
7 Oslo 2010 Juliana Pasha It’s All About You 62 16 final
8 Düsseldorf 2011 Aurela Gaçe Feel The Passion 47 14 semi-final
9 Baku 2012 Rona Nishliu Suus 146 5 final
10 Malmö 2013 Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko Identitet 31 15 semi-final
11 Copenhagen 2014 Hersi One Night’s Anger 22 15 semi-final
12 Vienna 2015 Elhaida Dani I’m Alive 34 17 final
13 Stockholm 2016 Eneda Tarifa Fairytale 45 16 semi-final
14 Kyiv 2017 Lindita World 76 14 semi-final
15 Lisbon 2018 Eugent Bushpepa Mall 184 11 final
16 Tel Aviv 2019 Jonida Maliq Ktheju tokës 90 17 final
Corona 2020 Arilena Ara Fall From The Sky
17 Rotterdam 2021 Anxhela Peristeri Karma 57 21 final
18 Turin 2022 Ronela Hajati Sekret 58 12 semi-final
19 Liverpool 2023 Albina & Familja Kelmendi Duje 76 22 final
20 Malmö 2024 Besa Kokëdhima Zemrën N’dorë 14 15 semi-final
21 Basel 2025 Shkodra Elektronike Zjerm 218 8 final

Video Nostalgia

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Luiz Ejlli with “Zjarr E Ftohtë”, Rank 14 (Semi-Final) (Athens 2006)

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Kejsi Tola with “Carry Me In Your Dreams”, Rank 17 (Moscow 2009)

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Jonida Maliq with “Ktheu tokës”, Rank 17 (Tel Aviv 2019)