The Marsa Shipbuilding site once echoed with the rumble of heavy metal and the shuffling of thousands of workers. But this year, the echoes are different – more musical. Following the hosting of the Junior Eurovision, the former shipbuilding site will stage the Malta Eurovision Song Contest on Friday, November 21 and Saturday, November 22.
The 20 semi-finalists, chosen from 48 short-listed entries, include three former Eurovision participants: Ludwig Galea, who represented Malta in Istanbul in 2004, Glen Vella, who sang One Life in Dusseldorf in 2011, and Gianluca Bezzina, the doctor who sang in Malmo in 2013. Among the semi-finalists are also four newcomers to the contest: Karen Debattista, Iona Dalli, Minik and Lyndsay Pace, and the nun’s ensemble Ekklesia.
The 20 semi-finalists will perform on Friday, November 21, and 14 entries will qualify for the grand final on Saturday.
The 2014 Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst will be the special guest performer. In a message to Malta, Wurst said; “I am so happy to visit the Maltese Islands. I heard so many good things about your beautiful country. I can’t wait to be with you. It’s going to be great.”
And it will be, for the semi-finalists, for the audience, but especially for the winner, who will represent Malta next May for the Eurovision finals in Vienna.
The running order
Home - Lyndsay
Could Have Been Me - Iona Dalli
Still Here - Franklin
Rush - Christabelle
Fandango - Jessika
Closed Doors - Chris Grech
12, Baker Street - Karen Debattista
Something In The Way - Daniel Testa
Breakaway - Glen Vella
Stop Haunting Me - Raquel
Take Me As I Am - Domenique
The One That You Love - Lawrence Grey
It’s OK - Deborah C
Close Your Eyes - Danica
Secretly - Corazon
Beautiful To Me - L-Aħwa
Warrior - Amber
Chasing A Dream - Trilogy
Once In A While - Dominic
Love and Let Go - Ekklesia Sisters