Albania confirms Festivali i Këngës 65 for 17–20 December with final on 20 December

Albanian public broadcaster RTSH has confirmed that Festivali i Këngës 65 will take place across four nights, from 17 to 20 December 2026. The final is scheduled for Sunday 20 December at 21:00 local time, according to the festival's official website. The announcement on 13 October gives audiences a firmer timetable for one of Albania's most established music competitions.

The dates follow the completion of the applications and selection process, which produced a field of 28 competing performers. RTSH describes a mixture of established names, newcomers and artists connected with Albanian communities abroad. The broadcaster had already confirmed the participating acts earlier in October; the newly announced development is the four-night schedule.

The official list includes, among others, Ardit Çuni, Kejsi Tola, Orgesa Zaimi, Djemtë e Detit, Vanesa Sono and Auron Deva with DJ Sardi. They are part of a broader roster of 28 acts rather than a final ranking. The participating songs are still in the process of being presented, so artists' inclusion should not be confused with published competition results.

RTSH says the entries were assessed against artistic and technical conditions. Songs must be newly written and previously unpublished, last no longer than four minutes and have lyrics entirely in Albanian. The festival rules also expressly prohibit the use of artificial intelligence at any stage of song creation, a clear position amid a wider European debate about AI-assisted music.

Festivali i Këngës serves as an important route through which Albania has selected Eurovision entries in previous years. Its cultural significance also reaches beyond Eurovision, given its long history as a televised Albanian-language music festival. However, the calendar announcement itself does not confirm the exact structure of each live night or all the competitive decisions still to come.

Eurovision followers can now mark 17–20 December for the festival, with the final on 20 December. RTSH says the full event schedule and remaining presentation details will become clearer as the festival approaches. The confirmed dates, established 28-artist line-up and originality rules offer the most reliable information available until additional programme announcements are made.