Five years of Mużika Mużika
The festival’s fifth edition will feature a revamped voting system and more performance opportunities for artists
The fifth edition of Mużika Mużika, the song contest focused on the Maltese language, returns next month, bringing with it several changes to the festival format.
The festival will take place on March 27, 28, and 29 at the MFCC, with adjustments to the voting system and additional opportunities for performers to showcase their songs to the public.
Paul Abela, the festival’s artistic director and a veteran of over fifty years in the music industry, expressed his enthusiasm for this year's event. “It feels like the festival only began yesterday,” he said. He added that artists find performing at Mużika Mużika a unique experience because the festival’s organisers understand the challenges faced by musicians and songwriters.
As part of the new format, public voting via SMS on Thursday’s show has been removed. Instead, only audience members at the venue will be able to vote, using a dedicated app. Additionally, no performers will be eliminated on Thursday, allowing them to present their songs twice, with a second performance on Saturday.
Friday’s much-anticipated segment featuring classic Maltese songs will remain unchanged. However, on Saturday’s finale, all 16 participants will perform their songs again, with people now able to vote for their favourite acts via SMS. The winner will be determined by a combination of jury votes, audience votes from Thursday’s live show, and public SMS votes on Saturday.
“This format allows audiences to become more familiar with the songs,” said Franz Agius, head of Festivals Malta.
Abela added: “The songs of Mużika Mużika are becoming the classics of the future.”
The festival winner will receive €20,000 and a trophy, while the second and third-place winners will be awarded €10,000 and €5,000, respectively, along with trophies.
The event will also feature the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
Culture Minister Owen Bonnici praised the organisers for their dedication, saying: “It isn’t easy to grow Mużika Mużika beyond what it has already achieved, but you are managing to do so.” He wished all participating singers the best of luck, adding: “We watched Eurovision, some of us watched Sanremo, and now we have Mużika Mużika.”
The festival can be attended in person at the MFCC or watched live on TVM. Tickets and further information are available on the Mużika Mużika website.