After 25 years, the Magic Song is changing the formula that has long accompanied it.
The show's producer, Ardit Gjebrea, announced through a video that the 2026 edition will come with a completely different format, removing one of the most discussed elements over the years: voting among the singers themselves.
"After 25 years, 'Magic Song 2026' will mark a change in the voting system. Singers will no longer vote for each other," said Gjebrea.
Instead, the evaluation will be done by the jury and the public, while the festival itself will move away from the traditional idea of ????a classic ranking with first, second and third place. According to Gjebrea, there will no longer be a second or third place announcement.
There will be a winner, but the focus this time will not be on the rankings. "Magic Song" is moving towards the concept of an awards night, closer to international formulas like the Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards or Brit Awards, where the categories, the impact and the moment the artist creates are important.
According to the producer, the awards will be related to elements such as audience, youth approval, virality or the power of the performance.
In fact, this is perhaps the biggest turnaround the festival has made in years, because the artist voting system has always been one of the most commented upon, and often most contested, elements of “Magic Song.” Alliances, friendships, strategic votes or disappointments after the final have been almost as much a part of the spectacle as the songs themselves.
Now, it seems that the format is trying to get closer to the logic of the modern music industry, where not only the song matters, but the impact it has online, on the audience, and in pop culture.
"This year it will be in this concept: song, show, performance and energy," Gjebrea said at the end of the video.
This could either be one of the most interesting refreshes to happen to the festival in a long time.
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