Malta has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 33 times in the past and is gearing up for their 34th appearance this year. Unfortunately, in last year’s competition, Emma Muscat‘s performance did not advance to the Grand Final.

Malta’s debut entry in the Eurovision Song Contest was in 1971 with a song titled “Marija L-Maltija” by Joe Grech, sung in Maltese language. However, Maltese language has only been used twice in the contest, as English is the country’s second official language and has been favoured for better international communication. Nowadays, countries are free to choose the language of their preference. Many countries have sent entries in languages other than their own, such as Austria sending a song in French, Latvia in Italian, and Cyprus in French.

English has become the dominant language in the Eurovision Song Contest, with the majority of countries choosing to sing in English in order to appeal to a wider audience and increase their chances of success. This means that Malta no longer has the same advantage it once had by being a primarily English-speaking country.

It is impressive to see the level of enthusiasm and creativity in Malta, despite its small size with a population of around 493,000. The country’s national finals for Eurovision are extensive and showcase many talented singers. One notable Maltese singer is Chiara, who has represented Malta in the contest three times, in 1998, 2005, and 2009, and achieved one second and one third place.

There was a gap of 15 years in Malta’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest from 1976 to 1990. When they returned in 1991 with “Could it be” by Paul Giordimaina and Georgina, they achieved a good 6th place, and since then, they have consistently reached good positions. Out of 33 participations, Malta has reached the Top 10 14 times, giving them a statistical chance of around 41% to reach a Top 10 position. The chance of Malta reaching the Grand Final is about 50/50.

Malta has not yet won the Eurovision Song Contest, but they have come close with two second places and two third places in their history. The Maltese people are very enthusiastic about the contest and are eager to win it someday. There have been rumours that if Malta does win, they would host the first-ever open-air contest. In 2014, Malta did host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which gave the broadcaster a chance to showcase their skills in hosting such an event. The introduction and postcards were particularly impressive, so if Malta were to win the Eurovision Song Contest, we could expect a great show from them.