Song for Europe Festival to be held under marquee

The next edition of the Song for Europe Festival is to be held under a huge tent at Ta' Qali. To date the festival had always been held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

Maltasong chairman Charlò Bonnici said when contacted that the idea for this shift had been in gestation for the past two years.

He said that each year the organising committee incurred the displeasure of people who could not get tickets for the festival, so they felt it was time to move on to a larger venue.

Demand for the tickets is always greater than supply and people usually start queuing for them from the early morning hours in an attempt to see the festival.

The tent would be able to take up to 4,000 people compared to 1,200 who can squeeze into the MCC.

"The MCC has a certain prestige and if it could fit in more people, we would have had no reason to move," Mr Bonnici said.

The festival, between February 7-8, will now be held in a climate-controlled, indoor tent which will not be open to the elements.

Sign-It Limited has been awarded the contract following a call for tenders and preliminary work for the venue is already underway.

Work will be in full swing once the Christmas festivities are over and the Maltasong board is sifting through the submissions for the music and lighting tenders.

"The atmosphere under the tent during the festival will be more like a concert, so most of the formality will disappear," Mr Bonnici said.

Mr Bonnici also confirmed that last year's Eurovision Song Contest winner, Marie N from Latvia, will be performing at the Ta' Qali festival.

"We are also hoping to bring over a number of contestants from the countries taking part in the Eurovision," he said.