A week of stirring music:

Tuesday 20th March, 8pm – 9:30pm: Vienna Boys Choir in Concert – Teatru Manoel, Valletta

This music ensemble, whose history goes back to 1498 when Maximilian I (HRR) moved his court to Vienna, boasts a repertoire which includes everything from medieval to contemporary music. Motets and lieder form the core of the touring repertoire, as do the choir’s own arrangements of Viennese music. The choir also performs children’s operas and world music. Tickets from here and more information here.

Wednesday 21st March, 8pm – 9pm: The European Day of Early Music Concert - Basilica of St Dominic, Valletta

Celebrate early music this Wednesday with a concert performed by the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble (VIBE). The programme is called Music at the Court of Kromeriz and includes works by Schmelzer, Vejvanovsky, Tuma, Rittler and Biber. Tickets here and more information here.

Portrait of an artist:

Tuesday 20th March, 7:30pm: Phantom Thread – Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta

The award-winning film by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, hits the screens at Spazju Kreattiv’s boutique cinema. Set in the glamour of 1950s post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the centre of British fashion. Women come and go through Woodcock’s life, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Here, Paul Thomas Anderson paints an illuminating portrait both of an artist on a creative journey and the women who keep his world running. Tickets here and more info on the event page.

Time to get moving:

Wednesday 21st March, 2pm – 5pm: Victoria Lines: Scenic & Historic Walk – meeting point at Tas-Salib

Spring is here, and you know what that means? Yep, you need to get up and move! Enjoy some fresh country air on this scenic and historic walk on the Victoria Lines. The route will take you from Tas–Salib to Bingemma Fort and Gap, and then back to Tas-Salib. Check out the event page for more information. 

Stretch your mind:

Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd March, 9am – 4pm; Friday 23rd March, 9am – late: The Campus Book Festival – University of Malta, Msida.

If you love books – the smell of them, the feel of them and, of course, the ideas inside – do yourself a favour and make it to the Campus Book Festival. There are plenty of activities taking place, such as workshops and films related to literature, readings and interviews with authors, painters and illustrators. You might leave with more than you bargained for. More information on the event page. 

Connecting to our forefathers: 

Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st March at 5:30am: Spring Equinox at Mnajdra Temples – Hagar Qim & Mnajdra, Qrendi.

This should definitely be on your bucket list! Make this year the year you experience one of the most wondrous natural phenomena which connects us with prehistoric societies. Mark the spring equinox at Mnajdra Temples, the first day of the new season, a day which underlines the relationship between the temples and the celestial bodies. Only a limited number of tickets are available, so hurry up and get yours here. For more information visit the event page. 

Open all week, up until 15th June: The FRAGSUS project - National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta. 

Significant discoveries on early Malta have recently been made by an international group of researchers working together on FRAGSUS (Fragility and sustainability in restricted island environments: Adaptation, cultural change and collapse in prehistory). The results of this five-year research project shed light on environmental changes and their effect on the human population in Maltese prehistory, and will be on display in this exhibition, which is open to the public free of charge. Click here for more info. 

Smokey or smooth:

Thursday 22nd March, 8pm – 10pm: Glenfiddich Whisky Tasting – StrEat, Valletta.

Get into the spirit by getting some spirit down you. Head to StrEat in Valletta this Thursday for a Glenfiddich Whisky tasting. Glenfiddich 15 years old, 18 years old, 21 years old, Glenfiddich IPA, and Glenfiddich Project XX will all be on offer, as well as nibbles to help line your stomach. With all that choice, it’s a surprise the cost is only 25 euros per person. Make sure you book. For more information, including contact details, check out the event page.