Following the match:

Monday, 18th June and Thursday 21st June at 10pm: Game by Brad Birch - The National Stadium, Ta’ Qali.

This World Cup season, the National Stadium in Ta’Qali is offering something a little bit more than the expected chants, cheers and chatter. Game, a play by British playwright Brad Birch, will be performed following screenings of matches. And, this week, there are two opportunities to catch the one-hour performance starring some of Malta’s most beloved actors and actresses. Don’t head home straight away tonight and on Thursday, but hang around a little bit longer to experience the story of a football club and the family which runs it. Directed by Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli and starring Malcolm Galea, Stephen Oliver, Davide Tucci, Erica Muscat and Julia Camilleri, this is one sure-fire way to make sure the fun continues long after the referee has blown the whistle. 

For football-free fun and music:

Tuesday, 19th June from 8pm: Football-Free Frolics! Ladies' Nights – Emma’s Kitchen, San Gwann; Wednesday, 20th June from 6pm: Crush Wednesdays – Surfside, Sliema & Thursday, 21st June from 8pm-11pm: Fête de la Musique, Swing Nuages - Storeroom 7, Ix-Xatt, Ta'Xbiex.

And, you really don’t have to watch the football whenever it’s on – or at all really. If the sport is really not your thing, the lovely people at emma’s kitchen are organising a girl’s night tomorrow with special offers on Prosecco all night long. Be sure to book by sending them a message. And, for more life outside the World Cup, head to Surfside on Wednesday for a spot of alternative music and Storeroom 7 on Thursday for Malta’s take on the celebrated Fête de la Musique, featuring Swing Nuages. 

Wednesday, 20th June – Friday, 22nd June from 8:30pm – 9:30pm: Map of the Mediterranean – Maori, Valletta.

For some more alternative music, this time with a political cause, head to Maori in Valletta, any evening from Wednesday to Friday for a concert, integrated with poetry, on the theme of the Mediterranean Sea, with particular focus on how migration and travel has shaped Mediterranean culture, especially important in light of the UN's World Refugee Day on the 20th June.

Wednesday, 20th June from 8pm – 10pm: Les Poissons Voyageurs Malta Tour – Café Society.

Les Poissons Voyageurs have been performing in the squares and streets of Valletta for a few days now, and they've brought joy and swing to many a corner of the capital. This week, they will be heading to Café Society, famed for their eclectic cocktails, to showcase their work on the steps of the city. The music starts at 8pm. Not to be missed. 

Score an exhibition or two:

Ongoing until 6th July: Claudio Chiariotti – Lily Agius Gallery, Sliema & Wednesday, 20th June from 8pm-11pm: Exiled Homes Exhibition – The Mill, Birkirkara.

Art galleries can be some of the best places to be when the sun is scorching hot. But, the experience of cultural forms is not just skin-deep; not just a way to get out of the heat. This week, and until 6th July, the Lily Agius Gallery in Sliema aims to provide food for thought through an exhibition of works by Italian painter Claudio Chiariotti, which relate to the classical world of painting and allegory, telling stories which border on the mystical. And on Wednesday, more tales are told through the eyes of Filipino caretakers living in Malta in the art exhibition Exiled Homes, focusing on themes of migration and displacement. The exhibition opening hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5pm - 7pm, and Saturday from 4:30pm - 8:30pm.

A different type of show:

Thursday, 21st June from 7:30pm: NT The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta.

The novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, narrated by Christopher, a 15-year-old boy with an autism spectrum condition, made a big literary splash a few years ago. Now, the National Theatre in the UK has adapted the book into a theatrical performance, which echoes the wonder and sensibility of the original. Spazju Kreattiv are transmitting the show on Thursday, possibly the only opportunity to watch it on the island. 

Stretch those muscles:

Monday, 18th June from 6:30pm: Mixed Level Sunset Flow – Manoel Island & Tuesday, 19th June from 6:30pm: Intermediate Flexy & Balance – Manoel Island.

Summer is the perfect time to keep you moving, with the warmer weather pushing us all outside for some fresh air and body-focused activities. Tonight and tomorrow night, head to Manoel Island for some yoga – whatever your skill level. Bring your own mat and watch sunset as you pose and stretch. The duration of each session is 75 minutes, for the extremely reasonable price of 10 euros. 

It’s that time of year again:

Thursday, 21st June & Friday, 22nd June: Summer solstice at Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples - Hagar Qim & Mnajdra Temples World Heritage Site, Qrendi.

Heritage Malta’s guided tours have gained a lot of traction in the past few months and this one, taking place on Thursday and Friday, is bound to be memorable. Organised at the megalithic temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, this event celebrates the summer solstice, the first day of the season, during which the sun’s rays hit the temple altar in a unique display of the cosmic relationship our ancestors had with the stars. You can buy tickets from here for the event at Mnajdra.