As summer rolls into the island, festival season commences. For the second festival in its lineup of boutique summer festivals, Festivals Malta presents yet another edition of the Malta International Arts Festival.

This year, the festival will be taking place from the 14th to the 23rd of June in some of Valletta's most stunning venues and beyond. The festival which has been a staple in the Maltese cultural calendar for more than a decade provides locals and visitors with an opportunity to experience artistic experimentations from both established and up-and-coming artists whilst hosting audience members in spaces which are only opened to the general public for special occasions.

Amongst these locations, one finds Underground Valletta, a set of intimate performances limited to 20 audience members per concert which allows visitors to explore a portion of the subterranean tunnel system which meanders around Malta's capital city, Valletta. This year, Underground Valletta will host Austrian clarinet virtuoso Simon Reitmaier and world-renowned glass harmonicist Thomas Bloch.

Another unique concert, perfect for people visiting the island, is Harbour Odyssey, a family-friendly performance on a wooden vessel 'The Fernandes', which reinterprets stories from in and around Malta's Grand Harbour. Taking place at sunset, this performance is a golden opportunity to view one of Malta's most iconic landmarks showered in golden Mediterranean light. This particular event is excellent for tourists who want to immerse themselves in a unique experience whilst they are visiting the islands.

For Maltese speakers, this year, the Malta International Arts Festival is yet again programming a performance which focuses on highlighting elements of Maltese folklore. Il-Karattri tal-Fantasija Maltin, a piece directed by Joseph Galea, is a unique roaming performance taking place on the 16th and the 23rd of June at the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu.

During this performance, people can immerse themselves in some of Malta's folk tales on monsters, mythical creatures, and other stories passed down from one generation to another. This includes figures such as the infamous Belliegħa and It-Tork tat-Taraġ.

These events are merely a taster of what you can expect at this year's Malta International Arts Festival, so make sure that you look at the entire programme and purchase your tickets here.

This event is supported by the Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, and sponsored by Coca-Cola.

Photo Credits: Eric Leone