The National Folklore Festival will take place in the Gjirokastër Castle from June 24th to July 1st.
Prime Minister Edi Rama shared a promotional video of the festival on social media, featuring folk artists from across Albania.
Describing the return of the National Folklore Festival as good news, PM Rama said that the Gjirokastër Castle has been adorned and enlivened like magic with the colors, motifs, rhythms, songs, and dances from all Albanian regions.
The festival returns to Gjirokastër after eight years. Besides its national and artistic values, folklore festivals have been intertwined with the daily life of the city and its residents.
The first National Folklore Festival in Gjirokastër was held in 1968, within the walls of the Gjirokastër Castle. Since then, the festival has taken place every five years.
The 1970s can be considered the peak of participation in this festival, with over 1,000 selected participants.
The Gjirokastër Festival was initially conceived as a folklore competition, and until the 1988 edition, awards were given to the best groups.
In recent editions, however, the awards have been distributed to carriers and performers of folklore.
