As Valletta’s year as European Capital of Culture continues, so does the jam-packed calendar of cultural events taking place throughout the capital city and the rest of the Maltese islands.
Here’s our pick of events on the V18 calendar this August.
BAĦĦ BLU / BLUE VOID
9th – 15th August
Lower Barrakka Gardens, Valletta
BLU / BLUE VOID consists of two parts, the marine installation ‘Book in the Sea’ which explores the relationship between Malta’s coastal landscape and literature through an installation that ‘writes’ on the water surface, and the land installation ‘Effett t’effett’ that hopes to raise consciousness on consumerism, over-consumption and waste generation. As a Valletta 2018 multidisciplinary project, the collaboration brings together cutting-edge technological tools to portray a harbour that has repeatedly played a crucial role throughout history.
Ira Losco & Friends: Women in Music
18th August
Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Valletta
Celebrating the integral roles that female artists have played in boosting both the local and international music industry, ‘Women in Music’ unites artists from different genres in a unique event suitable for music lovers of all genders and ages. With a line-up that spans different generations working collaboratively, the music repertoire in the event is infused with diverse sounds and bridges music from the past and the present across a myriad of genres.
Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival 2018
23rd-25th August
Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira
The annual Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival brings together active writers and translators from Malta, the Mediterranean and beyond. The diverse programme of activities and events, which this year will include a week-long Literary Translation Workshop in a special multidisciplinary edition of the festival, aims to promote meaningful cross-cultural exchange and debate between local and international creatives.
Malta Craft Beer Festival 2018
24th – 26th August
Fort St Elmo, Valletta
In this the first edition of the Malta Craft Beer Festival, the finest brews on the island from 15 different artisanal breweries coming from nine different countries will be available, along with the best street food and entertainment from the top local alternative bands and DJs.
Aħna Refuġjati
31st August – 2nd September
The Granaries, Floriana
The opera season during Valletta 2018 includes a challenging new operatic work by Maltese composer Mario Sammut, named ‘Aħna Refuġjati’. With musical direction by Richard Merrill Brown and a libretto by Mario Philip Azzopardi, the opera recounts the struggles of a family attempting to escape their war-torn country, addressing the timely issue of the human cost of large-scale migration, and the universal theme of loss resulting from political convenience, racism and prejudice.
