The Maltese national broadcaster has announced the dates for the Maltese Eurovision national selection and the rules for song submissions, which include several changes.
In May, just a week and a half after the Eurovision 2024 final, Malta announced the opening of a songwriting camp for Eurovision 2025, set to take place in Switzerland. The camp was held in June, with over 60 artists participating, including former Maltese Eurovision representatives. During the camp, initial versions of songs were presented, which will later be adapted for artists participating in the Maltese national selection.
PBS Unveils Official Rules for MESC 2025
Last night, the Maltese national broadcaster, PBS, officially published the rules for the national selection “MESC 2025”, which will determine Malta’s representative for Eurovision 2025. The regulations include new rules for the selection format following Malta’s third consecutive failure to qualify for the contest’s final.
Key Dates and Format Changes
The song submission process for the national selection will begin on November 18, 2024, and end on November 29. A total of 24 songs will compete in the national selection for the opportunity to represent Malta, through two semi-finals to be held on February 4 and 6, 2025, with 12 songs competing in each semi-final. Eight songs from each semi-final will advance to the final, which will be held on February 8, 2025, ultimately featuring 16 finalists.
Some of the new rules include requiring all artists to have Maltese citizenship. In the case of a group consisting of two or more artists, the lead singer must have Maltese citizenship. Additionally, Sarah Bonnici, Malta’s representative at Eurovision 2024, is not eligible to compete as a singer in this year’s selection, as it was decided to add a rule preventing the most recent representative from competing for consecutive participation. Performances in the semi-finals and final will be live.
Malta in Eurovision 2024
“Loop” is the name of the song performed by singer Sarah Bonnici, who was chosen to represent Malta after winning the Maltese national selection. Malta did not qualify for the final, finishing 16th and last in the second semi-final with 13 points.
This is the second consecutive time Malta has finished last in the semi-final stage, and the fifth time overall since joining the competition in 1971. Additionally, Malta fails to qualify for the final for the third consecutive time, a new negative record since the semi-final system began in 2004.
Source: PBS
Eurovision 2025: This will be Malta’s 37th participation in Eurovision. Malta joined the competition in 1971 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2002 and Eurovision 2005 after finishing second twice.
