The winner of Festivali i Këngës 61 will be determined by public vote.
For the first time in the festival’s history, the winner of Festivali i Këngës will be determined entirely by the public via SMS votes, as opposed to jury voting, which has been used in every other edition thus far. In September, OGAE Albania hinted at the return of televoting, but it was not confirmed until now.
However, despite the winner being decided by public vote, there will still be a jury present who will award three different prizes:
- First, second and third place in the jury vote
- First place for young artists and alternative groups
- First place for established artists
Just yesterday, RTSH surprised us all with the list of participants, and their song titles, for Festivali i Këngës 61. A total of 26 acts will take to the stage to in December to compete to become Albania’s Eurovision 2023 representative.
Are you happy with the choice to bring SMS voting to Festivali i Këngës this year? Or would you prefer jury voting again? Let us know what you think in the comments below!