Malta: Same format for January 2018 national final

The Maltese national final will be held in January 2018. That is the date set out in the TVM MESC 2018 Rules and Regulations document. The venue and exact date are still yet to be confirmed.

PBS, the national broadcaster in Malta, published the rules and regulations which the competing acts in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2018 will have to abide by. The most significant rules are as follows:

  • The Winner of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2017 will be ineligible to compete (meaning Claudia Faniello cannot compete as an artist, but the rules are not clear as to whether she can compete as a song writer).
  • The song (including music and lyrics) must not have been released commercially before Wednesday 1st November 2017.
  • All artists must have Maltese nationality (or dual nationality). Where there is a group of 2 or more people, the lead member of the group must have Maltese (or dual) nationality.
  • Authors and composers can be of any nationality.
  • Artists must be at at least 16 years old by Tuesday 1st May 2018.

The selection process will take place in the following stages:

  • 1st shortlist – 60 songs (Judges selection)
  • 2nd shortlist – 30 songs (Local and International juries)
  • Final – 16 songs (100% televote) – January 2018.

Despite the disappointing non qualification result in Kiev, PBS will not make changes to the Grand Final format, and will stick with the 100% televote for 2018.