Kaliopi returned to the music scene as a solo performer in the Republic of Macedonia and competed at the 1996 edition of Skopje Fest, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. With the song "Samo ti", she was awarded first place by the jury and the audience, winning the right to be the first representative for Macedonia at the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the 1996 Contest saw an influx of new participants and at a non-televised audio pre-selection, Macedonia was eliminated from the Contest. Kaliopi later competed in Skopje Fest 1998, but only managed ninth place with the song "Ne zaboravaj".