The moment had arrived! On Monday 28 September, Albania unveiled the revamped version of “Kërce Me Mua”, the song with which Eslin Kurti will represent the country at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The song, available on the official Junior Eurovision YouTube channel, was presented together with its music video, in which the young performer combines freshness, rhythm and a great naturalness that reflect her artistic style.
The countdown is on. Junior Eurovision 2026 is gearing up for its 24th edition, which will take place on Saturday 24 October at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali (Malta). The previous edition, held in Tbilisi (Georgia), was won by Lou Deleuze for France with “Ce Monde”, and now the Mediterranean island takes over as host once again. It will be the third time that Malta has hosted the contest, after Marsa 2014 and Valletta 2016.
Among the 16 participating countries, Albania returns with an entry that invites us to switch off from the digital world and get moving. Eslin Kurti, who promises to win over both the public and the juries, will try to improve on the result achieved last year by Kroni Pula with the catchy “Fruta Perime”, sixth with 145 points. She will take to the stage fourteenth in the running order. You can listen to the new version below:
This is “Kërce Me Mua”, Albania’s entry for Junior Eurovision 2026
The winning song of the 64th edition of the Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë, performed by Eslin Kurti, is titled “Kërce Me Mua” (“Dance With Me”). At the national selection, the music was credited to Rei Bezhani, the lyrics to Eriona Rushiti and the final orchestration to Enis Mullaj. In the credits of the new version published by Junior Eurovision, Enis Mullaj is listed for music and production and Eriona Rushiti for the lyrics, with special thanks to Rei Bezhani. The idea for the song came from Eslin’s father, who suggested creating a modern entry with a “Eurovision flavour”.
The team behind the entry combines new blood with long experience on European stages:
Rei Bezhani (composer): In contrast to the extensive Eurovision experience of Rushiti and Mullaj, Bezhani makes his debut in a European contest with this song, his first participation as a songwriter in the orbit of the Eurovision Song Contest or Junior Eurovision.
Eriona Rushiti (lyricist): She is one of the most prolific and recurring songwriters in Albania’s recent history at the contest. She wrote the lyrics for Albania’s entries at the adult Eurovision Song Contest in 2019 (“Ktheju tokës”, performed by Jonida Maliqi) and 2023 (“Duje”, by Albina & Familja Kelmendi). At Junior Eurovision, she wrote the lyrics for the country’s entries in 2023 (“Bota ime”, by Viola Gjyzeli) and 2024 (“Vallëzoj”, by Nikol Çabeli). At this year’s Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë, she also wrote the lyrics of “Vetëm” for Amina Zegullaj and composed “Hello” for Emili Dervishi.
Enis Mullaj (arranger): He is a close collaborator of Rushiti. He composed and arranged the aforementioned Albanian entry for Eurovision 2023 (“Duje”) and the Junior Eurovision 2023 entry (“Bota ime”). In Shkodër this year, he also composed “Fjala” for Ameis Demiraj, wrote the lyrics of “Hello” for Emili Dervishi and orchestrated “Jug-Veri” by Grupi Pentagram, all of them competing in the festival’s Junior category.
The lyrics of “Kërce Me Mua” by Eslin Kurti convey an energetic, contemporary message about the need to disconnect from the digital world in order to live in the moment. They make a direct appeal to young people to put their screens aside (explicitly mentioning the need to be “pa smartphone”, without a smartphone) and go out and enjoy their surroundings, nature and real company through dance. The lyrics also highlight the unifying power of rhythm, presenting music as something that lifts the spirit (“sa lart na çon”, how high it takes us) and helps make dreams come true.
The day looks beautiful, but I’ll dance even more
You’ll forget everything, we deserve it
Today there’s no need for words
Dance with me
This optimistic approach, which combines a constant invitation to move with a defence of face-to-face socialising over virtual life, fits Eslin Kurti’s profile perfectly and provides an ideal basis for a lively staging that is well suited to a children’s contest such as Junior Eurovision.
Who is Eslin Kurti? Meet Albania’s representative at Junior Eurovision 2026
Eslin Kurti is a 12-year-old singer from the coastal city of Durrës (Albania). She is in the 7th grade of basic education and also studies at the prestigious “Jan Kukuzeli” music school in Durrës.
Music has been part of Eslin’s life from a very early age. Her passion for music began at the age of 4, when her father discovered her musical ear while she was singing songs by Ermal Meta in the car, the singer-songwriter who represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.
The turning point in Eslin Kurti’s career came between 30 May and 1 June 2026, when she competed at the 64th National Children’s Song Festival (Festivali i 64-të mbarëkombëtar i këngës për fëmijë), held in Shkodër, in northern Albania.
This prestigious festival, broadcast live by Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH), is Albania’s most important music contest for young artists and the official route to Junior Eurovision. She won it with “Kërce Me Mua”, a song by local songwriters that combines upbeat pop rhythms with inspiring lyrics about the need to disconnect from the digital world and live in the moment.
Eslin Kurti’s musical style stands out for its delicate and precise vocal technique, together with a remarkable ability to improvise. As well as admiring Ermal Meta, one of her biggest international musical references is Adele, and “Skyfall” is her favourite song to perform outside her own repertoire. Although she is still in the early stages of her career, she stands out for her great stage maturity, a sweet yet firm voice and a versatile artistic profile that encompasses singing, piano, guitar and acting.