The events you cannot miss this summer
Seeing as St Paul’s Bay is a touristic hub, it is easily accessed from all locations on the Maltese islands. The Topaz Hotel is strategically located at just a 17 minutes walk from the Bugibba bus centre. In addition to this convenient facility, St Paul’s Bay also features various car rental garages from which you can rent a car for the duration of your stay at the Topaz Hotel. Alternatively, if you want to kick back and enjoy the true vacation experience, you might decide to get around the island by means of taxi. All of these facilities make it extremely easy for you to enjoy a local event during your stay at the Topaz – without the worry of getting home at night. Below is a list of the most anticipated events of the Summer.
The Malta International Arts Festival
Date: 29th June – 15th July 2018
Price: Averaging at €25
Location: Valletta
Valletta is this year’s European capital of culture so it’s only fair that it shines a light on the talents of our local artists. The event will seek to engage the city’s visitors with the cultural heritage of the island through the means of music, cinema and paintings, along with other creative skill sets.
Malta International Food Festival
Date: 19th July – 22nd July 2018
Price: Free (food and beverages come at an extra cost)
Location: Mdina
The Maltese are foodies so we can imagine no better day spent in Malta than one spent eating. The Mdina ditch will, once again, host the International Food Festival which will bring together various cuisines as well as family-centred entertainment under one sky.
The Marsovin Summer Wine Festival
Date: 20th – 22nd July 2018
Price: €20 earns you a set of tokens and a wine glass
Location: Valletta
The Marsovin Wine Festival features over 30 different wines produced from grapes grown around Malta and Gozo. The festival features 5 stalls, from which visitors can acquire entry-level or premium wines with their purchased tokens, as well as food outlets, live music and a wine education class.
Malta International Jazz Festival
Date: 16th – 21st July 2018
Price: Start at €20
Location: Valletta
With the Grand Harbour serving as its backdrop, the Malta International Jazz Festival will be featuring high calibre artists like João Bosco. The festival will be featuring concerts in the afternoon as well as through the evening. While some of the concerts are free to the public, others will be held against a payment. The festival will also be featuring masterclasses from which practising musicians can benefit from the guidance of renown artists in the jazz scene.
Farsons Beer Festival
Date: 27th July – 5th August 2018
Price: Free (food and beverages come at an extra cost)
Location: Ta’ Qali
2018 marks the 38th edition of the Farsons Beer Festival – a staple in modern Maltese culture. The festival seeks to promote Farsons’ produce while featuring remarkable local bands and mouth-watering food stalls. The festival is free of charge, leaving you with more money to spend on a good bottle of beer and a suitable food pairing.
Children’s Film Festival
Date: 29th July 2018
Price: Start at €10
Location: Floriana
There’s no better way to culture your children while on holiday than the Kinemastik Children’s Film Festival. The festival is held in Floriana and seeks to warm children up to the film industry. Along with watching the movie, the children are also invited to participate in a quiz following the screening to enter the chance of winning the ‘Golden Dot Award’. While the festival is targeted towards children, parents and guardians are also invited to join in on the fun.
Unite with Tomorrowland
Date: 28th – 29th July 2018
Price: Starting from €40
Location: Marsa
Last year, the organisers of Tomorrowland decided to experiment and invite an array of countries to join in on the fun – with one of them being Malta. Given the success of last year’s edition of the festival, Unite with Tomorrowland is back on the island for its second run. The local root of the Belgian festival is held in Marsa and features a live satellite connection with Tomorrowland as well as renown artists on stage.
Delicata Wine Festival
Date: 09th – 12th August 2018
Price: €15 for tokens and a wine glass
Location: Valletta
Maybe you’ve missed out on the Marsovin wine festival or maybe you’re just up for more wine – in either case, attending the Delicata Wine Festival is a good idea. The festival is held at Valletta and runs annually across 4 days in August. The festival features a total of 20 Delicata wines as well as various ethnic cuisines. Alternatively, if wine is not your thing – you might want to consider attending the event for the wonderful atmosphere and interesting line-up it will be featuring.
Malta Summer Carnival
Date: 18th – 20th August & 25th – 27th August 2018
Price: Free
Location: Buġibba and Marsaskala
Carnival is near and dear to Maltese hearts so it only makes sense to have it twice a year. The summer carnival is not held in Valletta, unlike the carnival which is usually held in March. Instead, it takes place across the streets of Bugibba and Marsaskala. Traditionally the summer carnival features beautiful floats as well as the ‘ġostra’, a local tradition which sees people running up a greasy pole in the hope of grasping the flag hanging at the end of it before slipping off into the sea beneath.
Glitch Festival
Date: 07th – 08th September 2018
Price: Starting at around €50
Location: Rabat
Glitch is a local House and Techno festival which gathers an iconic line-up and delivers a mesmerizing weekend. Along with jamming sessions, the festival also hosts a boat party which we don’t recommend missing out on. If you’re interested – we recommend you grab your tickets soon as most of them are already sold out.
Victory Day
Date: 08th September 2018
Price: Free
Location: Valletta
As the end of summer approaches, the Maltese commemorate Victory Day. The feast recalls the end of three separate sieges which occurred on the island hundreds of years apart. The Maltese honour the occasion with a traditional boat race known as ‘regatta’ as well as an assortment of firework displays.
If you need any help getting to these events, our receptionists will be happy to assist you. If you haven’t booked your stay yet, though, we recommend you check out our latest deals.
