Festivali i Këngës 64 has seen a last-minute change to its lineup. Egzon Pireci, who was previously reported as one of the contestants set to perform in this year’s edition of Albania’s national selection, has withdrawn from the festival. The band Lynx will take his place instead.
Egzon Pireci took to social media to share the news, citing
personal reasons and emphasizing that his decision was not related to the
festival organization.
Following the rules, his spot has been awarded to the next
artist on the list approved by the artistic committee, meaning that Lynx will
officially enter the competition. RTSH, Albania’s national broadcaster,
confirmed the news on their social media, announcing that the band will compete
with the song 'Nuk kthehem pas', a rock track created entirely by the
group.
There’s still no official release date for the songs, but
fans can likely expect them in the coming weeks, ahead of the festival.
Festivali i Këngës 64 will take place from December 17 to
December 20 at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. All 28 acts will compete
across two semi-finals, followed by a nostalgia night and the Grand Final,
which will crown FiK’s winner and determine Albania’s next Eurovision
representative.
Last year, the duo Shkodra Elektronike represented Albania with 'Zjerm', reaching the Grand Final in Basel and finishing 8th overall with 218 points. This was Albania’s best result and first top-10 finish since 2012.
