The air may still be chilly, but there’s a thaw on the horizon. Festivals Malta yesterday unveiled details of its four festivals of the summer season: the Malta World Music Festival, Ghanafest, the Malta International Arts Festival and the Malta Jazz Festival.
Malta World Music Festival
The Malta World Music Festival (MWMF), taking place at Fort St Elmo on 18th and 19th May, will launch the season, celebrating cultural diversity through the medium of music.
This is the second edition of the festival, which is under the artistic direction of Renzo Spiteri, and it promises to be another corker. The first night features acts such as Cushion, Refugees for Refugees and the Afro Celt Sound System, while, on the second night, Alca Alcaide, Trad.Attack! and Electrik Gem will take to the stage.
Early bird tickets are already available on the event’s official website.
Ghanafest
If traditional folk music is more your thing, this is your opportunity to listen to ghana live. The Ghanafest, Malta’s prime platform for folk musicians and singers to expose their talents to wider audiences, will take place on 22nd and 23rd June at Argotti Botanic Gardens in Floriana.
The festival also celebrates Mediterranean identity with other local and international bands and artists performing music inspired by the salt of the earth. To find out more, check out the official site.
Malta International Arts Festival
Hot on the heels of Ghanafest, the Malta International Arts Festival, opening on 29th June and running through to 15th July, is one of Malta’s longest events celebrating site-specific curation, music, visual arts, theatre, dance, opera, installations, films, community projects, interactive and participatory events.
This year’s highlights include the grand concert by the world-famous Royal Concergebouw Orchestra at the Manoel Theatre on 1st July and the gravity defying Aria by Italian dance company No Gravity at the Manoel Theatre on 8th July.
Early bird tickets for this festival will be on sale from April 6th, but check out the official website for more details and updates.
Malta Jazz Festival
Last, but definitely not least, comes the legendary Malta Jazz Festival, opening on 16th July and ending on 21st July – an event loved by all music lovers, both on the island and abroad. Jazz legend Chick Corea will headline the festival, which promises to be six days of funky jazz and iconic performances.
Christian McBride and the Michael League music ensemble BOKANTÉ are also in the stellar line-up. Early bird tickets for the Malta Jazz Festival will be available from 17th March. Keep an eye out on their official site.
For more information on all of the events, visit Festivals Malta.