The 18 performances of Albania’s
Festivali i Këngës 59 may have been pre-recorded, but the drama felt like it was live and rolling. And at the end of it after three nights and a three-hour finale a seven-person jury crowned
Anxhela Peristeri the winner with her dramatic ballad
“Karma”. Next stop? Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam.
Festivali i Këngës 59 winner: Anxhela Peristeri will sing for Albania at Eurovision 2021
Anxhela, who has a quarter of a million followers on Instagram, was completely unfazed by the spotlight of the past month. And it showed most clearly in the final, where she stood centre stage hitting note after note in her mystical ballad “Karma”, which she told us sends a message about the actions we take and what the universe sends us in return.
Tonight, Albania’s long-running song festival
Festivali i Këngës will kick off its 59th edition. As well as showcasing the best of Albania’s music stars, the contest will also select the act that Albania will send to Eurovision 2021.
While the FiK is a little different this year with the show held on an outdoor stage and performances prerecorded earlier in the week there is still plenty of top talent in the lineup. The Wiwi Jury our in-house panel of music unprofessionals has listened to all 26 competing entries and ranked our top five songs. Who does the jury think should head to Eurovision?