Malta is officially set to host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026, marking the competition’s return to the island for the first time in a decade.The European Broadcasting Union confirmed that PBS will organise the 24th edition of the contest, which will take place on Saturday 24th October at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali.The venue will be transformed into a large “Eurovision Festa Village”, combining Malta’s traditional festa culture with the Junior Eurovision experience in what organisers described as an “explosion of happiness” for young fans across Europe.This will be the third time Malta hosts Junior Eurovision after previously staging the event in 2014 and 2016.Malta remains one of the contest’s most successful countries, having won Junior Eurovision twice with Gaia Cauchi’s The Start in 2013 and Destiny’s Not My Soul in 2015.French broadcaster France Télévisions had officially declined to host the 2026 edition despite France winning this year’s contest, reportedly due to the need to implement major budget savings of €140 million across the organisation.The Junior Eurovision Song Contest features performers aged between nine and 14 from across Europe and beyond, celebrating youth, creativity and cultural diversity through music.More details, including the participating countries and artists, are expected to be announced in the coming months.Are you excited to see Junior Eurovision return to Malta?•