The live auditions for the Eurovision national selection will be held on December 19. Forty-five singers will compete to represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest that next year will take place in Stockholm.

Afterward, the jury will select 24 songs for the semifinals that will be staged on February 23 and 25, IPN reports.

According to the organizers, this year the contest does not involve foreign citizens competing as soloists, but there are several foreigners who form part of musical duos, as the regulations permit it.

Among the competitors are such famous singers as Natalia Barbu, Dara and Tatiana Cerga, who form the trio Elle. Sasha Bognibov and Elena Buga will perform by two songs.

This year the organizational committee will not hold internal auditions of the songs as there are fewer than 50 competitors. The live auditions are public and will take place in Studio No. 2 of the public TV channel Moldova 1, starting at 12 noon.