Kosovo is gearing up for a potential Eurovision debut next year.
The Chairman of the Board of Kosovan broadcaster RTK, Besnik Boletini, has confirmed that in June, they will be applying to the European Broadcasting Union in the hopes of being able to apply to compete in Eurovision 2025 in Switzerland.
“In June, we will apply to the EBU to participate in Eurovision, and we hope to receive a positive response.”
At this moment in time, Kosovo is not a full member of the European Broadcasting Union. Since 2013, the Kosovan broadcaster has had observer status at the European Broadcasting Union. This means that they are ineligble to participate in Eurovision unless they are either invited to participate by the Reference Group, as Australia was in 2015, or unless they are able to become a full member of the EBU.
Therefore, it is not known at present whether the Kosovan broadcaster will be applying for full membership into the EBU, or whether they will be applying to be invited into the contest by the EBU, just like Australia was.
Back in 2023, Kosovo held the first ever Festivali i Këngës në RTK (The Festival of Song on RTK). It was broadcast in Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia. The broadcaster hopes that this festival, based on Albania’s Festivali i Këngës, could be used in the long run to select Kosovo’s Eurovision participant.
Despite never having pariticipated in the Eurovision Song Contest, there have been many artists of Kosovan descent who have graced the Eurovision stage, including: Rona Nishliu (Albania 2012); Lindita Halimi (Albania 2017) and Gjons Tears (Switzerland 2020 & 2021), among others. We also saw Rita Ora perform as part of the interval act in semi final one of Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool.
What are your thoughts on Kosovo potentially participating in Eurovision 2025? Which Kosovan artists would you like to see on the Eurovision stage? Let us know in the comments below!
