Albulena Haxhiu Opens 16th EtnoFest in Kukaj, Kosovo

Albulena Haxhiu, the Deputy Head of the President’s Office of Kosovo, attended the opening of the 16th edition of EtnoFest, a festival of traditional arts and culture held in the village of Kukaj. In her remarks she highlighted the festival’s role in preserving memory, tradition and cultural heritage, citing the motto “Only speak to show” attributed to At Zef Pllumi.

Haxhiu recalled how the festival grew from modest beginnings when Fadil Hysaj and Sheqerije Buqaj converted an old stone quarry into a theatre and used village courtyards as early stages. She emphasized that the current theme, “Memory”, continues the mission of passing songs, stories and crafts from one generation to the next. The deputy praised the contributions of local artists, residents and organizers, and pledged continued institutional support for future editions of EtnoFest.