Gjirokastra National Folk Festival returns after 8 years, for the first time there is no competition between artistic groups and 1200 artists will take the stage

The National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastra will host this year artists and artistic groups from the 12 regions of the country, but also beyond. The festival will take place after eight years of absence and marks its tenth edition, but for the first time there will be no competition between the participating groups. The festival will take place from June 24 to July 1 and is supported by the state budget with a fund of 135 million ALL, in addition to the contribution of each district. A day ago the Minister of Culture Elva Margariti said that Gjirokastra will turn into an open museum with a high number of participants in the festival. "The festival will take place from June 24 to July 1 and will host artists and artistic groups from the 12 regions of the country, as well as from Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, etc. On the traditional stage of the castle, folk music groups from Arbëresh of Italy, Albanians from Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the USA will also perform. All minorities and their musical and choreographic testimonies are represented in the festival within the groups of the respective districts", said Margariti. The artistic director of the festival is prof. Thoma Gaqi and the director is Bledi Laço. Eri Kuke, Edit Pulaj, Dorian Çene, etc. are part of the organizational group. The Minister of Culture said that for months they have been working in the field to find the best materials, where the working group is headed by prof. Thoma Gaqin in the role of artistic director of the festival, but above all, according to her, the credit goes to the carriers who preserve and pass on this extraordinary wealth. "Working groups have been on the ground for months. Every region of Albania will be well represented. 800 artists from the regions and 400 from the diaspora, 1200 artists. A meeting of 8 nights and an ambitious program", said Margariti. According to the Minister of Culture, the innovation this year will be the participation of young people and children. "For the first time, the competition between the groups has been removed, based on the concept that folklore values ??should not be in competition with each other since each of them is unique and beautiful in its entirety. Another innovation is the participation of young people and children, who want to learn and still inherit folklore", said Margariti. According to the Minister of Culture, the innovation this year will be the participation of young people and children. "For the first time, the competition between the groups has been removed, based on the concept that folklore values ??should not be in competition with each other since each of them is unique and beautiful in its entirety. Another innovation is the participation of young people and children, who want to learn and still inherit folklore", said Margariti. According to the Minister of Culture, the innovation this year will be the participation of young people and children. "For the first time, the competition between the groups has been removed, based on the concept that folklore values ??should not be in competition with each other since each of them is unique and beautiful in its entirety. Another innovation is the participation of young people and children, who want to learn and still inherit folklore", said Margariti.

Activities and guests

Guests during the nights of this festival will be well-known groups such as Elif Sanchez from Spain, one of the most popular singers of the Republic of North Macedonia Vladko Stefanovski, Les Sëings Cabaret Musical from France, to culminate with the final night with the participation of Renzo Arbores' Italian Orchestra. Also, the singers Eneda Tarifa, Dren Abazi, Marsela Çibukaj, Eranda Libohova, Andi Kongo, Ylli Baka, Era Rusi, Endri and Stefi Band, etc. will participate. A variety of activities will take place at all key points of the city, including arts and crafts workshops, singing and dancing classes, photography exhibitions, film screenings, etc. The first National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastra took place in 1968 in the Castle of Gjirokastra. In 2015, the ninth edition took place.