Festivali i Këngës 58
festivali këngës th edition annual albanian music competition festivali këngës organised radio televizioni shqiptar rtsh pallati kongreseve tirana albania consisted two semifinal december respectively final december three live show hosted alketa vejsiu winner contest arilena ara song shaj receiving point two point ahead elvana gjata song tana ara scheduled represent albania eurovision song contest rotterdam netherlands cancellation related pandemic coronavirus disease covid th edition festivali këngës organised radio televizioni shqiptar rtsh determining determining albania representative eurovision song contest former consisted two semifinal december respectively final december held pallati kongreseve tirana three live show hosted albanian television presenter alketa vejsiu october rtsh released first detail interval act opening act first semifinal featured albanian singer jonida maliqi performing ktheju tokës interval act featured italian singer mahmood performed barrio soldi second semifinal interval act included agim krajka lindita theodhori performed kafe flora grand final italian singer giusy ferreri albanianborn greek singer eleni foureira performed mashups several song prior scheduled event october rtsh published provisory list artist shortlisted compete two semifinal festivali këngës song revealed december broadcaster previously opened submission period artist composer participate competition may september first semifinal festivali këngës took place december broadcast live cet qualifying song selected jury panel consisting two national three international member connection eurovision song contest contestant participated first semifinal highlighted contestant qualified grand final first semifinal opened country eurovision song contest representative jonida maliqi performing song ktheju tokës interval act included mahmood performing song barrio soldi second semifinal festivali këngës took place december broadcast live cet qualifying song selected jury panel consisting two national three international member connection eurovision song contest contestant participated second semifinal highlighted contestant qualified grand final interval act second semifinal featured agim krajka lindita theodhori song kafe flora grand final competition took place december broadcast live cet contestant qualified final announced december winner determined fivemember jury consisting two albanian member three international member connection eurovision song contest fivemember jury made christer björkman sweden dimitris kontopoulos greece felix bergsson iceland mikaela minga albania rita petro albania member jury voted assigning score – point preferred song end show arilena ara emerged winner shaj simultaneously announced albania representative eurovision song contest following result competition mixed reaction followed multiple individual criticising result attributing singer victory arranged voting three international juror ranked runnerup elvana gjata first whereas two albanian juror placed performance substantially lower host alketa vejsiu expressed dissatisfaction albanian jury member vote stating believe meritocracy deeply sorry platform could give voice public sorry disappointed public elvana understand respect sensibility please spare accusation jury choose jury jury member mikaela minga awarded tana two point later stated downvoted song due gypsy influence stating wasnt albanian enough eurovision song contest albania eurovision song contest