Malta Confirms Eurovision 2025 Participation Despite Israel Controversy: Bonnici Rules Out Boycott

Watch: Malta to stay in Eurovision even if Israel takes part, says Bonnici
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Malta will not boycott the Eurovision Song Contest next year even if Israel is allowed to compete, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici told parliament on Monday, ending weeks of speculation that had split local artists, activists and casual viewers.

Replying to a parliamentary question by independent MP Glenn Bedingfield, Bonnici said Malta’s public broadcaster PBS would “respect the rules” of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and “fulfil its obligations” by sending an entry to Basel in May 2025. The statement, delivered in a calm but firm tone, was immediately clipped and circulated on TikTok, racking up 30,000 views within two hours—proof, if any were needed, that Eurovision remains the island’s favourite pan-European talking point.

A nation that treats the contest like a second Independence Day
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For Maltese audiences, Eurovision is more than background television. Village band clubs suspend rehearsals, cafés wheel out projectors, and the annual late-May party in Valletta’s open-air squares draws bigger crowds than most political rallies. When Destiny won the 2021 ticket with “Je me casse”, spontaneous car-cavans clogged the Msida marina; horns blared the chorus until 3 a.m. The last time Malta voluntarily missed a contest was 1975, before the country even had colour TV.

Against this backdrop, Bonnici’s assurance reassured many fans who feared a boycott would rob Malta of its pop-culture Christmas. “Eurovision is our World Cup,” says Nadine Muscat, 24, who runs the fan page @maltaeurovisionhub. “We finally have a decent internal-selection process, a new head of delegation, and rumours of a Baltic songwriter floating around. Pulling out now would feel like forfeiting the match before kick-off.”

Artists divided over politics versus platform
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Yet not everyone applauds the minister’s stance. Over 120 local musicians, authors and filmmakers—including rapper Funky Monkey and novelist Immanuel Mifsud—signed an open letter last month urging PBS to press the EBU to exclude Israel over the war in Gaza. “Eurovision sells itself as apolitical, but banning Russia in 2022 proved the opposite,” argued the letter, which was read aloud during a candle-light vigil outside the new Parliament building in Valletta. Protesters draped a giant Palestinian flag over the Tritons Fountain while someone blasted last-year’s Maltese entry “Loop” on repeat—an irony lost on no one.

Bonnici, however, warned that unilateral withdrawal could trigger financial penalties and damage Malta’s reputation inside the EBU, jeopardising future bids to host Junior Eurovision, a competition the island already staged successfully in 2014 and 2016. “We understand the emotion,” the minister said, “but our leverage is stronger inside the room than shouting from the corridor.”

The PBS balancing act
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Inside the PBS headquarters in Gwardamanġa, executives have been walking a tightrope. Sources close to the selection committee told *Hot Malta* that two high-profile songwriters—one Israeli, one Qatari—quietly withdrew submissions last week, fearing backlash. Meanwhile, the broadcaster has doubled down on transparency, promising a televised national final in January and a new rule requiring finalists to sign a declaration that they will “respect the spirit of the contest” in Basel, a clause interpreted as discouraging on-stage protests.

Community ripples beyond the stage
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The debate has already seeped into everyday life. Pastizzi shops in Rabat have chalked “Free Palestine” on blackboards next to “Vote Malta” stickers; a Sliema English-language school added Eurovision-themed discussion classes titled “Can music be neutral?”; and the University’s KSU student council will host a forum next week titled “From Ta’ Qali to Basel: Ethics on the Eurovision stage”.

What happens next?
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With Bonnici’s position now official, PBS is expected to launch the call for songs before Christmas. Bookies’ favourites include Destiny for a comeback ballad, indie duo The New Victorians, and a surprise TikTok star whose mash-up of “Għanja” folk and synthwave has gone viral. Whatever the choice, the 2025 entry will carry extra baggage: the hopes of a nation that still believes a 220-second chorus can punch above its diplomatic weight, and the scrutiny of activists who insist the spotlight must illuminate more than glitter.

As the island starts decking its halls with euro-pop dreams, one thing is clear: Malta will sing in Basel. Whether the song can stay detached from the world’s discord is a question even the best key-change may not resolve.