Albanian broadcaster RTSH has confirmed that the withdrawn entry by Sardi Strugaj for Festivali i Këngës will be replaced by the song “Ajër,” performed by Eden Baja.
The decision to replace Strugaj’s entry was prompted by his announcement on the television program Dancing With The Stars on December 2, where he communicated that he would not be participating in Festivali i Këngës. Although initially listed as a participant, Strugaj cited personal reasons for his withdrawal from the Albanian song contest.
Focus has now shifted to Eden Baja who will perform at Festivali i Këngës with the song “Ajër.” Consequently, Baja is set to assume the 7th position in the running order on the second night of Festivali i Këngës.
This development marks the third replacement in this year’s Festivali i Këngës, following the earlier withdrawals of Kejsi Tola and Samanta Karavella.
This year’s Festivali i Këngës will take place on 19, 20, 21 and 22 December at Pallati i Kongreseve in Tirana. The schedule is as follows:
- 1st night: December 19, 2023
- 2nd night: December 20, 2023
- 3rd night: December 21, 2023
- Grand Final: 22 December 2023
31 acts will compete in the contest, with the public selecting the act that will Albania next year at Eurovision 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.
Source: RTSH / Image source: Sarah Louise Bennett
Albania made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2004, the same year the televised semi-final was originally introduced to the competition. Albania succeeded in their first showing with Anjeza Shahini’s “The Image of You”, sailing through the semi-final in 4th place and eventually landing in a respectable 7th place at the grand final. Albania has competed in the Eurovision Song Contest every single year since its debut. Since the success in their original attempt, they have reached the grand final a further nine times. They bettered their 2004 score in 2012 with Rona Nishliu’s song “Suus” who finished the contest in fifth place with 146 points, their first time reaching the top 5 and their best placing to date.
