Malta is preparing to become the epicentre of European children’s music. The Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali (Malta) will host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 on Saturday 24 October. The Mediterranean island is ready to welcome the 16 delegations competing for victory. Malta is once again taking charge of organising the European contest, for the third time in its history.
The Eurovision stage will be filled with talent, excitement and music as Junior Eurovision 2026 takes place. The 16 young participants will have the opportunity to perform their entries and fulfil one of their greatest dreams: representing their countries before viewers around the world. As it approaches its first quarter-century, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will once again take place under the slogan “United By Music”, reaffirming the spirit of unity that defines the competition. This time, there is an added attraction: an invitation for us to join in the great Maltese “festa”, where music, tolerance and diversity are essential parts of the show.
With the big event drawing ever closer, the time has come to focus on its stars and discover the details of each of the 16 entries competing for the coveted crystal microphone. For many of them, what began as a dream in front of the television is about to become a reality on the Junior Eurovision stage.
This time, we explore the biography and professional career of Beppe Caruana, Malta’s representative at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The young artist secured his ticket to Ta’ Qali after winning the third season of ‘The Voice Kids Malta’. His selection opened the doors to the contest, where he will fly his country’s flag with “Blue Bird”.
How did his journey towards Junior Eurovision begin? What made him fall in love with music? What are his biggest dreams? And what does the song he will perform on the Ta’ Qali stage mean? Through his story, we get to know young Beppe Caruana, who is taking part in this 24th edition, a little better.
Meet Beppe Caruana: a young artist who turns every stage into a dream
Beppe Caruana is a young Maltese singer and actor, born in Żabbar (Malta), who already has a particularly extensive artistic career at the age of 11. Having trained in singing from a very young age, Beppe Caruana has developed his career across music, musical theatre and television, taking part in competitions and productions that have allowed him to gain considerable stage experience.
In 2026, he has achieved the greatest recognition of his career so far. After winning the third season of ‘The Voice Kids Malta’, he was chosen to represent Malta at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with “Blue Bird”.
Beppe Caruana’s relationship with music began when he was very young. He started taking singing lessons at the age of four, beginning an artistic journey that he would continue to develop throughout his childhood. Since then, he has taken part in numerous competitions and performances, combining his vocal training with other performing arts disciplines. Among these, he finished in second and third place in 2020 and 2021, respectively, in the international online competition Golden Voice Malta.
His experience is not limited to singing. Beppe Caruana also has a strong passion for acting and musical theatre, fields in which he has taken part in various productions in Malta. The shows he has appeared in include ‘Matilda’, ‘Oliver!’, ‘Seussical Jr.’ and ‘We Will Rock You’. This combination of singing, acting and stage presence has become one of the defining features of his career.
His adventure on ‘Malta’s Got Talent’ and with La Voix
One of the major moments in Beppe Caruana’s career came in 2022, when he was part of La Voix, a choir that competed on ‘Malta’s Got Talent’.
The group received the Golden Buzzer, becoming one of the standout acts of that season. This experience marked one of the first major moments of recognition in his artistic career.
His adventure with La Voix allowed him to perform before a television audience and become familiar with a music competition format. From then on, he continued developing as both a singer and an actor, without restricting his artistic activities to a single field.
Musical theatre and ‘Seussical Jr.’
Acting has played an important role in Beppe Caruana’s artistic training. In 2024, he appeared in Masquerade Malta’s production of ‘Seussical Jr.’, playing JoJo, one of the show’s main characters. The company itself confirmed his involvement and listed him among the production’s leading performers.
‘Seussical Jr.’ is based on the characters and stories of Dr. Seuss and combines a story aimed at family audiences with various musical styles, including pop, Latin rhythms, swing, gospel, rhythm & blues and funk. For Beppe Caruana, the role of JoJo provided another opportunity to develop his acting and musical abilities in a large-scale show alongside a sizeable young cast.
His theatre career also includes productions such as ‘Matilda’, ‘Oliver!’ and ‘We Will Rock You’. As a result, before becoming a familiar face on Maltese television, Beppe Caruana had already accumulated several years of experience performing before audiences.
Zecchino d’Oro: his first major international competition
In 2025, Beppe Caruana took an important step beyond Malta by becoming one of the finalists in the 68th edition of Zecchino d’Oro, one of Italy’s best-known children’s music festivals.
His participation began with a selection process organised in Malta by the broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) and Arts Council Malta. After several rounds of auditions, Beppe Caruana progressed to the selection held in Italy and was eventually chosen from among thousands of international and Italian candidates to take part in the 2025 edition.
At the festival, he performed “Toc Toc”, a song in Italian, alongside Italian singer Sofia Bianco. The song was written and composed by Sara Casali and Alessio Zini. The experience allowed Beppe Caruana to represent Malta at one of Italy’s longest-established children’s music events. His participation also continued a Maltese tradition at Zecchino d’Oro that dates back to 1962, when Raymond Debono won with “La Giacca Rotta”.
A decisive 2026: television, acting and ‘The Voice Kids Malta’
The year 2026 has been particularly important for Beppe Caruana. In addition to continuing his musical activities, he appeared as an actor in the music video for “Show Me How to Love You”, by Maltese singer Ivan Grech. The video, released in April 2026, was filmed at St Margaret College, Dom Mauro Inguanez–Senglea Primary School, and Beppe Caruana plays the child lead.
That same year brought his big television opportunity: ‘The Voice Kids Malta’. In the show’s blind auditions, Beppe Caruana performed “Space Man”, the song with which British singer Sam Ryder finished second at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. His performance earned him a place on the team of Gaia Cauchi, winner of Junior Eurovision 2013.
Beppe Caruana made it through the various stages of the competition and reached the grand final. He eventually advanced to the superfinal alongside Maya Galea and Zeah Aquilina. On 19 September, he was crowned winner of the third season of ‘The Voice Kids Malta’, securing his ticket to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
Beyond music: a passion for reading
Although singing and acting are a fundamental part of his artistic life, Beppe Caruana has also spoken about his love of reading. This aspect complements his profile as a young artist and reflects interests that extend beyond the stage and television.
Beppe Caruana’s career is particularly striking because of the variety of experiences he has accumulated before turning 12. These range from his training to television competitions, choirs, musical theatre, international festivals, music videos and talent shows.
Now, young Beppe Caruana faces the biggest stage of his still-short career. He arrives at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at just 11 years old, after several years of training and experience on Maltese and international stages, with the added distinction of appearing as a local artist in an edition held in his own country.
Discover “Blue Bird”, Beppe Caruana’s entry representing Malta at Junior Eurovision 2026
Beppe Caruana will represent Malta at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with “Blue Bird”, whose title translates into Spanish as “Pájaro azul”. The song with which Beppe Caruana will attempt to secure Malta’s third crystal microphone was composed by Matthew “Muxu” Mercieca, Matthew James Borg and MATT BLXCK, with the artist himself also contributing. This is a team with an established reputation and Eurovision experience.
The song conveys a positive message about friendship, hope and the importance of listening to the feelings of the heart. Its central figure is a blue bird, presented as a friend who accompanies someone when they feel sad or discouraged. Through its song, the bird represents joy, imagination and the ability to find beauty in simple things.
The lyrics use imagery connected with nature, such as the ocean, the moon, strawberry fields and colours. These images create a sense of freedom and fantasy. In addition, the repetition of sounds such as “du du du” makes the song simple, cheerful and easy to remember.
One of its main messages emphasises that many of the answers we seek may lie within ourselves. The song therefore invites listeners to trust their hearts and discover the magic of small moments. Overall, it presents an optimistic view of life and encourages people to transform sadness into excitement and hope.
The entry is accompanied by a music video in which young Beppe Caruana travels around different places in Malta, following a mysterious blue bird and reinforcing the Maltese identity of the entry.
The music video was directed by Steven Levi Vella and produced by PBS Malta together with the director himself. The production involved an extensive technical team, including director of photography Johann Caruana, colourist Gregg Maggi and the animation team at Front Picture. Filming took place at various locations in Malta, including PBS Studios, Popeye Village and Valletta. Alongside Beppe Caruana, the cast also included Faith Vella Gregory, Matthias Deguara, Zelenio Zarb and Christina Fenech.
A successful team leading the Maltese project
Matthew Mercieca, known professionally as “Muxu”, is a Maltese singer and songwriter born in 1990. He began his musical career in 2008 with “Beat My Drum”, which reached number one in Malta. He has written songs for numerous artists. His involvement in several entries for the Eurovision Song Contest and Junior Eurovision stands out, including the Mediterranean island’s two victories: in 2013 with Gaia Cauchi’s “The Start” and in 2015 with Destiny Chukunyere’s “Not My Soul”.
Matthew James Borg is a Maltese musician, songwriter and producer. He was the lead singer of the band Red Electrick before beginning his solo career. He has also worked in music production and songwriting for other artists. Among his compositions is “Dance (Our Own Party)”, The Busker’s entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Matthew Caruana, known by the stage name MATT BLXCK, is a Maltese singer and producer. His stage name emerged during his participation in ‘X Factor Malta’. Influenced by artists such as Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Jason Derulo and Little Mix, he combines pop with other styles. In 2023, he competed in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest with “Up”, finishing in third place.
Lyrics to “Blue Bird” by Beppe Caruana, Malta’s entry at Junior Eurovision 2026
When the world is feeling blue
There’s a friend who comes to you
Tell me, are you listenin’?
Can you hear the blue bird sing?
A melody so pure, so sweet
Like magic in strawberry fields
Fly with me, oh blue bird
Take me to the moon
Glide over the ocean
Show me what to do
Singing du du du du
Your heart knows what to do
The secret lives in you
Du du du du du du
It’s in me, it’s in you
Blue bird sing like you du do
Now suddenly all of the colours are shining so bright
The ordinary turns into a delightful
Melody so pure, so sweet
Like magic in the simplest things
Can you hear the blue bird sing?
And sing and sing and sing
Fly with me, oh blue bird
Take me to the moon
Glide over the ocean
Show me what to do
Singing du du du du
Your heart knows what to do
The secret lives in you
Du du du du du du
It’s in me, it’s in you
Blue bird sing like you du do
Du du du du du du
Du du du du du du du du
Duuu uuu aaa aaa
Fly with me, oh blue bird
Take me to the moon
Glide over the ocean
Show me what to do
Singing du du du du
Your heart knows what to do
The secret lives in you
Du du du du du du
It’s in me, it’s in you
Blue bird sing like you du do
Blue bird sing!
Enjoy all the Junior Eurovision 2026 songs in the ESCplus playlist on Spotify:
Malta at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
Malta was one of the founding countries of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen in 2003. On its first appearance, with Sarah Harrison and her song “Like A Star”, it finished in seventh place. During this initial period in the children’s contest, Malta achieved modest results, except in Limassol in 2008, when Daniel Testa finished in fourth place with “Junior Swing”.
In 2011, PBS decided to withdraw from Junior Eurovision. Despite Malta having participated in the contest since its inception, its results had never been encouraging for the Maltese broadcaster, while viewing figures also fell short of expectations.
After missing two editions, the Mediterranean island made its long-awaited return in Kyiv in 2013. Gaia Cauchi took home the trophy with her song “The Start”. Two years later, in Bulgaria in 2015, Destiny Chukunyere broke all records with “Not My Soul”, securing another victory for her country.
Malta has finished in the Top 10 on 12 occasions. Its most successful period in the competition came between 2013 and 2018, when the country achieved its two victories in the children’s contest. At the other end of the scale are its three last-place finishes: in 2005, with Thea & Friends and their song “Make It Right”; in 2019, with Eliana Gómez Blanco and “We Are More”; and in 2022, with Gaia Gambuzza and “Diamonds In The Skies”.
Throughout this period, PBS has opted to choose its representative through open national selections, except in 2013 and 2014, when the selection was made internally.
Malta has hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest twice: in 2014, at Malta Shipbuilding in Marsa, and in 2016, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. These will be joined by the 2026 edition, which will take place at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali.
In Madrid in 2024, Ramires Sciberras received 153 points with “Stilla Ċkejkna”, earning a commendable fifth place. This was Malta’s best result since 2018. Meanwhile, in Tbilisi in 2025, Eliza Borg finished in 11th place with 92 points with “I Believe”. Although she placed ninth in the national jury voting, she could finish no higher than last place in the viewers’ ranking.