The scene is set for the upcoming edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC). The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced this Friday, 15 May, that the Maltese national broadcaster PBS will host the 24th Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
Ta’Qali will serve as the background for this year’s festivities, with the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) set to be revamped into a ‘Eurovision Festa Village’. The Maltese “Festa” heritage, recognized by UNESCO, will go hand in hand with world-class production, turning the arena into an “explosion of happiness” for the youth of Europe. In addition, the EBU revealed that the show will take place on Saturday, 24 October, making it the earliest date on which JESC has ever taken place, given how it traditionally happens between November and December.
Chief Executive Officer of PBS, Keith Chetcuti, highlighted the honour of being chosen and how eager PBS is to host JESC 2026:
“Malta is Eurovision’s biggest fan and ally and therefore it is our biggest honour to be chosen as the host nation for this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest. This event is a celebration of our warmth and heritage, and we look forward to making this a landmark event. Malta is not only ready to host such a prestigious event but also committed to continuing to build its relationship with the EBU and our colleague Members.”
Despite France’s win in Tbilisi last year, with Lou Deleuze’s ‘Ce monde’, the French broadcaster declined the hosting duties, citing budgetary reasons. The contest now returns to Malta, after previously being hosted there in 2014 and 2016, following the victories of Gaia Cauchi in 2013 and Destiny in 2015.
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest will once again feature the talent of young performers aged between nine and fourteen from across Europe.
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