Malta will announce when and if it will allow summer festivals in the coming weeks but will adopt a stance of caution. 

“While direction will be issued in the coming weeks with regards to how and if festivals can take place in the coming months, our priority is to follow the health authorities’ advice,” Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said in response to a question by Lovin Malta at a press conference this afternoon.

“We won’t experiment with people’s health.”

Some popular festivals, such as Glitch and Lost and Found, have already started selling tickets for this summer, but the minister has already warned them that the authorities have yet to take a decision on whether such events will actually be allowed.

Bartolo also adopted a cautious stance with regards to the future of the festivals sector, stating that while Malta should keep attracting such events, it should also develop a more diversified and sustainable tourism market. 

“We need to tap into new niches, realise their maximum potential, and attract tourists who might have never considered Malta as a destination,” he said, citing sports, diving, wellness and LGBT+ tourism. 

“We will develop these sectors in the coming months and years.”

Expressing his concern that national tourism policies in favour of sustainability were actually just buzzwords, he said the COVID-19 pandemic has presented Malta with an opportunity to ensure quality and quantity in the sector go hand in hand.

When do you think Malta should allow festivals to return to its shores?