Eslin Kurti will represent Albania at Junior Eurovision 2026 with “Kërce Me Mua” following her victory at the 64th Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë

Destination Ta’Qali! Eslin Kurti with her entry “Kërce Me Mua” has achieved victory in the 64th edition of the traditional Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë (National Children’s Song Festival) and will represent Albania at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

This Monday, 1 June, the grand final of the Albanian music competition took place. Commonly known as Festivali i Fëmijëve, the contest concludes its 64th edition in 2026. Once again, the Albanian city of Shkodër hosted the Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë, featuring 30 competing entries across two categories. As in the previous edition, the artists in the ‘Junior’ section (aged 9 to 14) competed for the opportunity to represent Albania at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Ta’Qali (Malta) on Saturday 24 October.

For the second consecutive year, the Albanian broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) and the Municipality of Shkodër have maintained the strategic agreement so that the winner of this category obtains the right to represent Albania in the European contest. On the other hand, it is worth noting that, ahead of 2027, RTSH intends to bring back its Junior Fest, ending the alliance with the Shkodër municipality.

During three consecutive nights (from 30 May to 1 June), coinciding with the International Children’s Day, the Albanian city of Shkodër became the epicentre of children’s music in Albanian-speaking territories. The Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë was held at the historic Migjeni Theatre, which was transformed into a large stage to welcome young artists and both local and international audiences, with Isli Islami and Kroni Pula, winner of the 2025 festival and Albania’s Junior Eurovision representative, as hosts.

Who will represent Albania at Junior Eurovision 2026? Review the results of the 64th edition of the Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë

A professional jury and a children’s jury were responsible for determining the final outcome of both categories of the Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë. Specifically, the ‘Junior’ section (aged 9 to 14) featured 19 songs, while the ‘Të Vegjlit’ category (under 8 years old) included 11 entries.

Once the live performances of all 30 competing songs were completed, the voting panels deliberated to select the top three from each section. As usual, no detailed ranking of the entries is provided.

In this way, Eslin Kurti with “Kërce Me Mua” (Dance With Me) achieved victory in the 9 to 14 age category (Junior). The winning song was composed by Rei Bezhani, with lyrics by Eriona Rushiti and orchestral arrangements by Enis Mullaj. Meanwhile, Aria Kolaveri with “Dua Ta Marr Globin Në Krahë” and Laura Spahiu with “Nëse Beson” completed the Top 3 of the ‘Junior’ section.

On the other hand, Ajri Drishti with “Nuk Kam Ku Luj’” was crowned winner in the category for children under eight years old (Të Vegjlit), accompanied by Maria Kalaja with “Çika-Çika, Çikalore” (2nd place) and Klea Shkreli with “Kush E Shkroi” (3rd place).

Review the results of the 64th edition of the Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë below:

Junior Category (9–14 years old)

Të Vegjlit Category (Under 8 years old)

What songs participated in the 64th Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë of Albania?

The 64th edition of the Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë featured 30 songs selected from authors originating from Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and the Albanian diaspora. Established names shared the lineup with young creative talents who bring freshness and innovation to children’s music.

The competition was divided into three musical nights: Saturday, 30 May (First Night – Nata e parë), Sunday, 31 May (Second Night – Nata e dytë), and the grand final on Monday, 1 June. The musical evenings were broadcast live on RTSH Muzikë, while the final night could also be followed on RTSH 1 and Radio Tirana 1.

You can review the list of songs from the 64th edition of the Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë in competition, by category, below:

Junior Category (9–14 years old)

Të Vegjlit Category (Under 8 years old)

What has been the format of the 64th Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë? This is how Albania selected its representative for Junior Eurovision 2026

The 64th Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë followed its classic format with three musical nights. During the first two shows, on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 May, the 30 contestants performed their entries for the first time, split across each gala. Specifically, 15 young talents performed on the first night and the remaining 15 on the second night.

In the grand final on Monday 1 June, the 30 artists returned to the stage to be evaluated by a professional jury and a children’s jury. As usual, two awards are given, one per category: for children under eight years old (Të Vegjlit) and for artists aged 9 to 14 (Junior). In this latter category, the winner will have the privilege of representing Albania at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. In total, there are 11 songs in the children’s category and 19 in the youth category (entries competing for Junior Eurovision 2026).

The contest had the exclusive decision of the juries, one professional and one children’s jury, both accounting for 50% each. As has been customary since the 45th edition of the contest, a children’s jury is also included. On this occasion, it was chaired by Nikol Çabeli, Albania’s representative at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Among its members, we find the following names: