Malta’s Eurovision hopeful Destiny will take to the stage in the first of two Eurovision semi-finals tonight.

Her song ‘Je Me Casse’ has given a sense of Eurovision-optimism which has rarely been seen in Malta, with bookmakers marking her as one of the favourites to win the competition.

She will be the 16^th and last person to sing, with bookmakers placing her as the favourite to not only qualify, but outright win her semi-final.

Countries like Cyprus, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Russia are also expected to be shoe-ins for qualification into Saturday’s Grand Final from tonight.

A total of 10 countries out of 16 will qualify tonight, while another 10 will qualify for the Grand Final from the second semi-final on Thursday.

They will join hosts the Netherlands – who won the 2019 Eurovision song contest, the most recent one to take place after 2020’s edition was cancelled – and the so-called Big 5 countries – the UK, Italy, France, Spain, and Germany – in the Grand Final.

Malta has been placed 3^rd by bookies, having spent a number of weeks as the outright favourite to win the contest.

Odds have widened somewhat since rehearsals began last week, with Destiny’s initial wardrobe choice drawing some criticism after the first rehearsal.

Italy’s Maneskin is now being listed as the favourite to win the competition, with France’s Barbara Pravi placing 2^nd in the odds.

Iceland, Cyprus, and Bulgaria could all rock the apple cart, while early bookies’ front-runner Switzerland has now fallen to 7^th place in the overall bookies’ ranking.

Malta has never won a Eurovision Song Contest – power ballad specialist Chiara finished 2^nd on two occasions in 1998 and in 2005, while Maltese pop icon Ira Losco also finished in the runner-up spot in 2002.

In the last Eurovision edition in 2019, Malta’s Michela placed 14^th in the Grand Final.