Representing Albania at Eurovision 2026 is the indie-influenced pop singer Alis Kallaçi, who performs under the mononym Alis.
He was chosen to represent Albania during the country’s Eurovision selection process, after scoring the highest points across the board, but will he be able to replicate the win in the Eurovision final?
Albania has never won Eurovision, the closest it has ever come was fifth place in 2012.
As Alis prepares to give it all he’s got, here’s everything you need to know about the Albanian singer.
Who is Albania Eurovision 2026 entry Alis?
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Alis Kallaçi is a singer-songwriter who rose to fame after winning the fifth edition of X Factor Albania. The following year, he took part in Albania’s Eurovision selection process, the 63rd edition of Festivali i Këngës, with the song Mjegull, where he came in third place.
Last year, he re-entered the Festivali i Këngës, in its 64th run, and was crowned the winner with his upcoming Eurovision song, winning both the jury vote and the public vote.
He plays both the piano and guitar and last summer, Alis released his best selling single so far, Sta Kam Than.
How old is Alis?
Alis Kallaçi is 23 years old.
What nationality is Alis?
Alis is Albanian and was born in the county’s fourth biggest city, Shkodër.
What has Alis said about representing Albania at Eurovision 2026?
About representing his country, Alis said it was like a dream and called himself a Eurovision “fanboy”.
“I’ve always watched Eurovision, I was a like a fanboy every year. I really love it. Every young artist has one dream and mine is to take place at Eurovision at least one time ,” Alis said.
He added: “I don’t have any expectations to win, I just want my song to breathe.”
What is Albania’s Eurovision 2026 song called?
Alis will represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 performing the song Nân, which means “mother” in Albanian, the lyrics of which were written by his girlfriend Zara. Speaking of the cosy tone of the song, Alis said: “My song tastes like homemade byrek.”
He continued: “My song is about mothers longing for how much they wait for their children and no matter what, they will be there.”
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Where did Albania come in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?
The duo Shkodra Elektronike represented Albania at Eurovision last year in Basel, Switzerland. They finished in eighth place with the song Zjerm, receiving 218 points.
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The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.
At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.
The EBU said in a statement: “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”
Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”
The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” it said in a statement.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.
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