Singers tune up for big night

Rehearsals for Saturday's Song for Europe Festival will start in earnest at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta tomorrow, giving performers the first chance to get accustomed to the stage.

Twenty-two finalists will vie to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Ukraine's capital Kiev in May.

Today the three presenters of the festival - Clare Agius, John Bundy and Moira Delia - will rehearse their script on stage, which they hope will keep the crowd well entertained.

As the number of performers on the final night has grown from the usual 16, the time dedicated to entertainment has had to be cut slightly short.

Maltasong has secured the performance of Cyprus' winner Constantinos Christoforou who will be giving a rendition of Ela Ela - the song he will sing at Eurovision Song Contest.

Maltasong spokesman Nadette Bugeja said a number of local bands will also perform.

For the first time in the festival's history, the winner will be chosen entirely by the public, through televoting, instead of a panel of judges also being involved.

While some support this move, others worry about the possibility of bloc voting instead of votes going to the best song. An ongoing poll on The Times website shows those in favour and against running neck-and-neck.

"At the end of the day the Song for Europe is a popular song and to choose a popular song you need an audience to vote for it," Ms Bugeja said.

On the night the public will have 35 minutes within which to choose their favourite song. In order to eliminate the possibility of abuse through voting numerous times, only up to three votes for the same singer will be counted.

The organising committee is expecting the result to be announced at about midnight, as long as everything runs smoothly.

Saturday's show will be aired live on TVM at 8.30 p.m.