Tonight at 9:00 PM, the third edition of the RTK Song Festival begins, lasting for three nights. Well-known artists and emerging talents will take the stage to compete with 20 songs from artists inside and outside of Kosovo, highlighting the significant interest in this important cultural event.

During the final rehearsals, festival director Rilind Gërvalla emphasized that everything has been prepared by RTK employees, including the design, graphics, stage, and scenography, which blend traditional and modern elements. He mentioned that this year, a new organizational approach has been implemented, ensuring that everything presented on stage is a direct production of RTK.

“Throughout the three festive nights in the capital, we will hear the voices of young artists born from tradition but moving towards the future,” declared Gërvalla. He also noted that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is closely monitoring their progress, appreciating the festival's organization and preparations for Kosovo's participation in the European Song Contest, Euro Song.

“We have demonstrated that Kosovo is ready for ‘Euro Song’. Despite the regional challenges, the EBU has followed our developments with great interest and is pleased to see a new country with a public television station achieving such progress under difficult financial conditions,” he explained.

Artistic Director Florent Boshnjaku stated that the festival has created a strong artistic and technical platform for the artists: “The Song Festival was established as an institution and is something extraordinary for our country. I am very happy to be part of the development of this institution,” he said.

Genc Salihu, the screenwriter for the third edition, announced that this year the festival will focus more on music while reducing the dramatic elements. It will also include a retrospective on the history of song in Kosovo.

“Starting this year, we will also present the Lifetime Achievement Award, ‘Golden Ocarina’, to someone who has had a long-standing musical journey,” Salihu declared.

This year’s festival will be moderated by Rina Krasniqi and Dukagjin Podrimaj. It will take place on November 6, 7, and 8 in Prishtina, where 20 artists will compete for five main awards, while one artist will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, “Golden Ocarina”. The televised program will be a marathon, offering three spectacular nights for RTK viewers, with ticket reservations for the public already underway.