PBS has transformed the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre (MFCC) in Ta' Qali into a hi-tech indoor arena for this year's Malta Eurovision Song Contest.
The semi-final will be held tomorrow, Friday. On Saturday night, the finalists will battle it out for the coveted title during a live show which will determine the song to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan this coming May.
Singers, dancers, artists, TV crews, sound, light and video engineers have already been through several technical rehearsals to ensure that all performers are happy with their routines and performances while technical crews fine-tune their final settings to ensure smooth running and spectacular shows on Friday and Saturday night.
This year, the Malta Eurovision Song Contest will be hosted by Elaine Saliba, Ronald Briffa and Frank Zammit.
"PBS is proud to present another high calibre Malta Eurovision Song Contest. We know that the country looks forward to this annual event. Even those who say they hate it, end up following parts of the process. This year's event production has raised the bar yet again and our focus is now set on ensuring that we deliver a top-notch, high quality television show to all our loyal viewers" said PBS Chairman Joseph Mizzi.
"Following the improvements introduced last year, this year we have invested more resources to deliver an even better televised Malta Eurovision Song Contest. Space and accesibility are critical factors when producing large scale events of this type and following consultations with the production team and our set designer, we have selected MFCC as the event venue for this year. It is the largest indoor space available in Malta and therefore, we were able to create a huge stage with special visual and lighting effects. We have also brought in expert foreign technical directors to oversee specific critical components of the show and to support the PBS crew as well as local contractors and foreign consultants engaged in the production," explained Chief Executive Officer Anton Attard.
Stage and technical setup
Following feedback received from singers, composers and authors, this year the setup of both the stage and the technical facilities was completed earlier than usual to allow more time for performers to familiarise themselves better with the technical setup and to provide more rehearsal time.
Singers will also be able to choose whether to follow the show by watching it on screens available in the Green Room or to join the MFCC audience and follow the performances as they happen on stage. Two special sections have been especially created for this purpose.
The massive 25m stage includes 20 large LED screens and another high resolution mega LED screen which together, create advanced visual effects.
TVM will broadcast the shows using 11 cameras on set, all positioned at different angles and distances to cover each and every bit of action.
Larger audience expected
Tickets sales are proceeding very well and both show nights are expected to attract a larger audience than last year. The last few remaining tickets can be purchased online from www.tvm.com.mt
Live broadcasts on TVM
On Friday and Saturday night, TVM will start special live broadcasts of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest at 8.30pm and a Red Carpet pre-show hosted by Peter Carbonaro t will be broadcast on Saturday before the final night begins.
The sponsors of this year's Malta Eurovision Song Contest are Mediterranean Bank, Vodafone, Schwarzkopf, Hebe, Hamilton Travel and Rocs Travel Sale.
The qualifying process
Last year's Malta Eurovision Song Contest winner Glen Vella will perform during the opening of Friday's show followed by the 24 songs which have made it to the semi-final. By the end of Friday's show, the 16 finalists will be announced and these final songs will be performed again during the final night on Saturday night.
The voting system is based on televoting by the public and a professional jury made up of Maltese and foreign individuals familiar with the Eurovision Song Contest.
The semi-final - Friday night
Brothers Ivan and Gabriel Broggini from the Swiss duo Group Sinplus will perform on Friday night as foreign guest performers. This group will represent Switzerland in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest.
Local popular band Airport Impressions will also entertain the audiences on Friday night.
Special guest performance by Anggun on Saturday night
The young group participating in the popular TVM teen drama Dreams will perform during the opening Saturday's show.
As a foreign guest artist, the French Eurovision Song Contest representative Anggun will also entertain audiences during the final night. (see video)
Anggun was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and left her country in 1994 to pursue her international career. After signing with Sony Music Entertainment, she released her first international album, Snow on the Sahara (1997), in 33 countries worldwide.
This album spawned her international signature hit "Snow on the Sahara" which reached number one in several countries. Since her international debut, Anggun has released five studio albums in English and French, as well as a soundtrack album to the Danish film Open Hearts (2002). She has collaborated with a host of international artists, including Julio Iglesias, Peter Gabriel and Pras Michel of the Fugees.
In addition, the winners of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest Ell and Nikki will be returning to Malta for a performance at MFCC during the final night.
Glen Vella will take the stage again on Saturday to launch his new Single and will also perform with the Animae Choir.