Malta has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 30 times since its debut in 1971. The history of the Malta Song Festival dates back to 1960. Malta has never won the contest but has twice finished second and twice finished third.
At first, the island state sent songs in its native language, Maltese, but it failed to rank highly, finishing last in its first two attempts in the contest in 1971 and 1972 and withdrew from the 1975 contest. Malta's return to the contest in 1991, after a sixteen-year absence, proved to be more successful, with eight consecutive top ten placings (1991-1998) and finishing in the top ten in 12 out of 15 contests from 1991-2005. These results included third place in 1992 for Mary Spiteri, second-place finishes in 2002 and 2005 with Ira Losco and Chiara, who had previously finished third in 1998. In 2009, Chiara was the first Maltese artist to represent her country on 3 occasions.
Debbie Scerri, who represented Malta in 1997, had the "honor" of being the first Barbara Dex Award winner.
Malta's two seconds and two-thirds make it the most successful country not to win the contest. Since 2006, Malta has struggled to make an impact in the contest, finishing last in 2006 with Fabrizio Faniello, who had previously finished ninth in 2001, and failing to qualify for the semi-final round four times, in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011. Malta has failed to reach the top ten in eight of the last ten contests (2011–2021), the exceptions being Gianluca Bezzina, who finished eighth in 2013 and Destiny, who finished seventh in 2021.
The country has been one of three to have never missed the contest under the relegation rule, the others being Sweden and Croatia.
Among the current participating countries, they hold the distinction of having the second longest victory drought, spanning 52 years, trailing only behind Spain. This makes them the country with the longest victory drought to have never won the contest.
Gallery[]
Participants[]
Year | Artist | Song | Language | Place | Points | Semi | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1971 | Joe Grech | Marija l-Maltija | Maltese | 18 | 52 | No Semi Finals | |
1972 | Helen and Joseph | L'Imhabba | 18 | 48 | |||
1973 | Did not participate | ||||||
1974 | Enzo Guzman | Paci Fid Dinja | Maltese, English | Withdrew from competition | |||
1975 | Renato | Singing This Song | English | 12 | 32 | No Semi Final | |
1976 | Enzo Guzman | Sing Your Song, Country Boy | Withdrew from competition | ||||
1977-1990 | Did not participate | ||||||
1991 | Paul Giordimaina & Georgina | Could It Be | English | 6 | 106 | No Semi Finals | |
1992 | Mary Spiteri | Little Child | 3 | 123 | |||
1993 | William Mangion | This Time | 8 | 69 | |||
1994 | Moira Stafrace & Christopher Scicluna | More Than Love | 5 | 97 | |||
1995 | Mike Spiteri | Keep Me in Mind | 10 | 76 | |||
1996 | Miriam Christine | In a Woman's Heart | 10 | 68 | 4 | 138 | |
1997 | Debbie Scerri | Let Me Fly | 9 | 66 | No Semi Finals | ||
1998 | Chiara | The One That I Love | 3 | 165 | |||
1999 | Times Three | Believe 'n Peace | 15 | 32 | |||
2000 | Claudette Pace | Desire | English, Maltese | 8 | 73 | ||
2001 | Fabrizio Faniello | Another Summer Night | English | 9 | 48 | ||
2002 | Ira Losco | 7th Wonder | 2 | 164 | |||
2003 | Lynn Chircop | To Dream Again | 25 | 4 | |||
2004 | Julie & Ludwig | On Again... Off Again | 12 | 50 | 8 | 74 | |
2005 | Chiara | Angel | 2 | 192 | Top 12 in 2004 | ||
2006 | Fabrizio Faniello | I Do | 24 | 1 | Top 11 in 2005 | ||
2007 | Olivia Lewis | Vertigo | -- | -- | 25 | 15 | |
2008 | Morena | Vodka | -- | -- | 14 | 38 | |
2009 | Chiara | What If We | 22 | 31 | 6 | 86 | |
2010 | Thea Garrett | My Dream | -- | -- | 12 | 45 | |
2011 | Glen Vella | One Life | -- | -- | 11 | 54 | |
2012 | Kurt Calleja | This Is The Night | 21 | 41 | 7 | 70 | |
2013 | Gianluca | Tomorrow | 8 | 120 | 4 | 118 | |
2014 | Firelight | Coming Home | 23 | 32 | 9 | 63 | |
2015 | Amber | Warrior | -- | -- | 11 | 43 | |
2016 | Ira Losco | Chameleon | Replaced | ||||
Walk On Water | 12 | 153 | 3 | 209 | |||
2017 | Claudia Faniello | Breathlessly | -- | -- | 16 | 55 | |
2018 | Christabelle | Taboo | -- | -- | 13 | 101 | |
2019 | Michela | Chameleon | 14 | 107 | 8 | 157 | |
2020 | Destiny | All of My Love | Contest cancelled | ||||
2021 | Je Me Casse | 7 | 255 | 1 | 325 | ||
2022 | Emma Muscat | Out of Sight | Replaced | ||||
I Am What I Am | -- | -- | 16 | 47 | |||
2023 | The Busker | Dance (Our Own Party) | -- | -- | 15 | 3 | |
2024 | Sarah Bonnici | Loop |