The Eurovision Song Contest has given us plenty of entertaining moments over the years, including powerful vocals and performances, crazy costumes and controversies. Here are some iconic moments from Malta’s favourite song festival.
The Ultimate Diva - 1998
The final voting stage in 1998 saw Maltese households holding their breath, as Israel and Malta were head-to-head. Nonetheless, Dana International’s upbeat dance song Diva beat out Chiara’s simple yet powerful ballad The One That I Love at the final hurdle.
Dana became an LGBTIQ+ icon as she was the contest's first openly transgender participant. When she was first chosen to represent Israel, Orthodox Jews and others with conservative views attempted to annul her participation in the contest, but she kept going.
Following her victory, she claimed that her success was proof of God being on her side and that in spite of her being who she was, that did not make her any less Jewish or less a believer in God. Now that’s a real DIVA!
Malta’s Sweetheart - 2002
Her Eurovision performance at the 2002 final placed Ira Losco firmly in the hearts of the Maltese public and beyond.
An absolute beauty in her white lace jumpsuit, Ira sang her heart out and managed to place second, the best-ever placing by a Maltese artist at the Eurovision Song Contest at the time!
When it comes to iconic Maltese Eurovision moments, you simply can't omit this glitter-blowing moment.
The head bop! - 2005
Chiara returned to Eurovision in 2005 with Angel. The final voting stage was also a tense affair this time around, and although she didn’t manage to win against Greece, she did manage to beat her own record by placing second!
Who could ever forget the signature head-bop and wink?
Lordi - 2006
Leave it to the Scandinavians to send an unconventional entry, clad in grotesque costumes, masks, and platform shoes to a Eurovision Song Contest Final. Cue Maltese outrage.
Europe seemed to be so mortified at the sight of them, that they didn’t think to vote for anyone else!
The catchiest song ever – 2007
The name Dancing Lasha Tumbai might not ring a bell, but “Sieben, sieben, ai lyu-lyu - Sieben, sieben, eins, zwei” surely will!
Who can ever forget this Eurovision entry? A lot of people might not know that the choice of Verka Serduchka, a drag performer, to represent Ukraine was fiercely criticized by several media and politicians of different parties. Nonetheless, Ukraine managed to placed second in the final, scoring 235 points!
The Ultimate Summer Banger - 2012
The Swedish entry at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, Euphoria, was a favourite long before that year’s Final got underway.
Loreen’s song was an instant and huge hit in the UK, jumping straight to the #1 slot on the iTunes chart. The track became a pan-European smash hit, with major chart placing in multiple countries.
Malta was no different, this song was EVERYWHERE!
