The Cultural Week began with a special concert put on at the Orthodox Church Concert Hall in Tirana that combined classical music with North Macedonian folk tradition, bringing to the Albanian public a panorama of the wealth and diversity of the neighboring country’s culture.

The “ConTempora” Chamber Orchestra took to the stage, performing works by North Macedonian composers, while the “EuroArt” Folk Dance Ensemble brought the atmosphere of folklore through dances, songs, traditional costumes and authentic sounds of folk instruments.

Around 80 artists were part of the artistic program, conveying the energy, colors and traditions of North Macedonia through a spectacle that combines cultural heritage with contemporary artistic expressions.

North Macedonia Cultural Week carries a diverse program with traditional music, folklore, poetry, visual arts and contemporary creativity, giving the Albanian public the opportunity to get acquainted with the culture and artistic scene of North Macedonia more closely.

The Cultural Week of North Macedonia is also an opportunity to strengthen cultural relations between the two neighboring countries, where art and heritage serve as bridges of communication between peoples.

Through the activities planned over the coming days, ancient North Macedonian traditions will be combined with modern forms of artistic expression, creating a space for dialogue, cooperation and cultural exchange between artists and the public of both countries.

The Cultural Week of North Macedonia is part of the activities that aim to bring the cultures of the countries of the region to Albania and promote mutual recognition through art and culture.

Tonight in Durrës, as part of the Cultural Week of North Macedonia, the public will have the opportunity to experience a special evening with the Ajga Chamber Orchestra, one of the most famous chamber music ensembles in North Macedonia.

Under the baton of Maestro Ivan Eminović, the orchestra will present a program that seamlessly blends classical masterpieces with the innovative works of North Macedonian composers.

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Following stops in Vlora, Laç and Saranda, the National Folk Songs and Dances Ensemble performed in Durrës yesterday.

Thirty artists filled the stage in Durrës with the vibrant sounds and colors of Albanian folk tradition. Civic music and lively rhythms turned the performance into a shared celebration. The audience did not just watch the show; they joined the artists in song and dance to create a powerful, energetic atmosphere.

Fest Folk 2026 stops in Gjirokastra tomorrow, August 13. The National Ensemble of Folk Songs and Dances will perform an evening of traditional Albanian music and dance in this historic cultural center.

Fest Folk 2026 tour by the National Ensemble of Songs and Dances is a live tribute to our timeless folk music, dances, and traditional costumes.

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Mayor Flamur Golemi shared in the social media highlights of the lively evening performances, which kicked off with the youth group “Nectar of poliphony.”

” Regional folk groups will energize summer nights, merging history, music, and authentic Gjirokastra hospitality into one unforgettable experience, wrote Mayor Golemi, while extending the invitation to have a taste of Gjirokastra together through the sound of iso-poliphony.

The municipality has curated a vibrant August calendar, transforming Gjirokastra into a cultural hub with art shows, folklore evenings, open-air screenings and electronic music festivals. Blending deep-rooted heritage with modern entertainment, this diverse program makes the historic stone city a premier summer destination.

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This event was organized under the auspices of the First Lady of the Republic Armanda Begaj, with the aim of promoting Albanian folk clothing, honoring and preserving the ethnographic heritage.

The participants were ladies with a contribution to Albanian cultural life, ambassadors and ambassadors’ wives who serve in our country, as well as personalities from various fields of art.

Traditional clothing from all provinces of Albania, from Kosovo, as well as Arbëreshi clothing, showed their diversity and originality together with elements of cultural and artistic value.

They came to this event as evidence of the early development of artistic crafts, learning, weaving and embroidery, reflecting our history over the centuries.

“We, Albanians have inherited over the centuries and generations a great wealth of folk clothing carefully made by women and girls. These clothes, along the various processes of historical, social and cultural development, created our physiognomy,” said Armanda Begaj during the welcoming speech at this event.

The First Lady especially appreciated the women who undertake the reproduction of folk clothing, fanatically preserving their originality, while emphasizing that everyone contributes to the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage.

“Today, we probably don’t wander as much as we used to, we don’t embroider and we don’t send the girl with the traditional dowry of our ancestors, but we have the opportunity to fanatically preserve the material and spiritual culture, the Albanian ethnography, enrich it, spread it and inherit it for generations next. Let’s use our ancient and rich history to be proud at all times of our being, proud of the Albanian nation,” said Begaj.

After watching the parade of folk costumes accompanied by the dances of the respective provinces, the attendees shared their impressions, opinions and experiences regarding Albanian ethnography, preservation and cultural heritage.

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Albania’s National Opera and Ballet House posted today in the social media a video from the participation of Albanian ensemble in the festival.

The Opera and Ballet House appreciated that the ensemble has represented Albania with dignity along other countries. The Albanian ensemble performed among other pieces even the “Eagle’s Dance”, a masterpiece of Albanian folklore conveying the values of our culture.

“Participation in such international events serves to spreading of Albanian tradition and culture around the world”, wrote the Opera and Ballet House in the social media. /p.s./

After the warm reception that the public of Tirana reserved for them, the two ensembles go to the city of Gjirokastra, where there is held the National Folk Festival. “We are one” concert will be performed again on the closing night of Gjirokastra festival.

“We are one” at the hall of Opera and Ballet House, but “We are one” also at the National Folk Festival of Gjirokastra,” is written on the online page of the Opera and Ballet House.

As a single body, the Folk Ensemble and Kosovo “Shota” Ensemble will celebrate their common heritage with folk songs and dances, at the end of this festival.

With the Drenica dance, the Çami dance and Tiranse wedding dance, with the song “I began to speak”, “Curly hair”, “It doesn’t matter, my bride” and with a southern and northern collage, the Argjiro Castle will host this important event, organized by the Ministry of Culture./p.s./

Mayor of Durrës Emiriana Sako shared on social networks moments from the performance of this group at the festival.

“Impressive representation of Durrës group at the Gjirokastra National Folk Festival. The groups from Durrës displayed the most beautiful cultural and folklore values of our region in front of many art lovers in a magical atmosphere in the Gjirokastra castle”, said Sako.

Mayor Sako said that, “The National Folk Festival is one of the most important cultural events of our country that unfolds nationwide folklore, spiritual, ethno-musical and ethnographic heritage from all the regions”.

Yesterday, on the fourth night of the festival, the groups from Durrës, Korça, Saz’Iso Band and Andi Kongo Band took the stage.

The National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastra is attended by a large number of spectators, while the stone streets of the city are busy with visitors, but also foreign tourists. /k.s/p.s./

“The colorful performances of the roots in Gjirokastra continue”, wrote Rama on social media.

“Dibra folklore pieces, artistic motifs from Kosovo and Tirana were played on the third evening of the National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastra”, wrote Rama further.

The National Folklore Festival that is taking place in the Gjirokastra Citadel started on Saturday and continues until July 1. The festival has turned into a tourist attraction, which promotes the folklore and tradition of our country. Groups from all 12 regions of the country, but also from neighboring countries, participate in the festival.

The history of Gjirokastra Folklore Festival

The first National Folklore Festival of Gjirokastra took place in 1968 in the Citadel of Gjirokastra. The festival, as one of the most important cultural events, brought together the artistic groups in each region by inviting them to perform together on stage every five years, namely 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, at the Gjirokastra Citadel, where the Folklore Festivals have been held regularly.

In 1973 festival, 1370 people participated. In the 1978 festival, there were around 53,000 participants in the selection phase, while only 1,560 qualified and performed during the days of the festival.

In 1995, the Folklore Festival took place in the fortress of the city of Berat. In September 2000, the Folklore Festival returned to the city of Gjirokastra. This festival was conceived in the form of a folklore competition, where until the festival of 1988, prizes were awarded to the best groups, while in its last editions prizes would be awarded to the bearers and interpreters of folklore.

The Folklore Festival 2004 took place in Gjirokastra from September 29 to October 5. The Festival 2009 took place in Gjirokastra from September 24 to 29, 2009. In 2015, the ninth edition took place.

The participation in the Festival of Folklore of groups from Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegrin Albanians, Arbëreshis, Arvanites, distant Diaspora as well as Cham folklore, etc., serves to expand not only the geographical spaces of Albanian folklore, but also brings unique values in the interpretation and execution of traditional Albanian spiritual cultural heritage, turning this important activity into a celebration of Albanian folklore. /p.s./

On the third evening of the 11th edition of the festival, there went on the stage of Gjirokastra Citadel popular artists from Dibra and Tirana regions and folklore groups from Kosovo. The folklore troupe of the ensemble from Kosovo appeared special and exciting and with imposing elegance while performing dances and choreographic performances of women and men and creating a special emotion. The songs and dances produced by the artists of Kosovo showed a high aesthetic quota both in interpretation and in the presentation of costumes.

The artists performed lyrical love songs, wedding rites, double dances, epic war songs, showcased centuries-old costumes, which they have inherited from their ancestors and which are being handed over from generation to generation.

On the fourth evening of the festival, the bands from Durrës, Korça, Saz’Iso Band and Andi Kongo Band are expected to go on the stage./p.s./

This ensemble, part of the Tirana Cultural Center – Metropol Theater, carries in its repertoire dances from different parts of Albania, from Central, Southern and Northern Albania.

There are only few days left until “Tirana” Ensemble, this jewel of Tirana, made up of young artists, will represent the region of Tirana on the big stage of Gjirokastra Castle on June 26 with the fable “The Ritual of Life”, which talks about all life processes from birth to death.

Meanwhile, the polyphony group of this ensemble will represent the region of Gjirokastra with the lyrical song “We inherited voice from grandfather” on July 30.

These artists keep alive, preserve and cultivate Albanian folk music, traditional songs and dances of Tirana and Central and South Albania.

The “Tirana” ensemble is the only comprehensive entity of its kind in the region and an important cultural asset for the capital. /k.s/p.s./