Malta is no stranger to the massive influx of arts- and culture-related events that have reached our shores. Chief among them, the Malta International Arts Festival (MIAF) is returning once again, for its 13th edition no less, and it’s jam-packed with two weeks’ worth of activities spread across Valletta and other localities.

The MIAF, which kicks off on the 29th of June, brings together both local and foreign artists and performers. This year’s festival will be aimed at celebrating everything Mediterranean, from its music to its diversity. And if that’s not got you sold yet, here’s just 11 reasons why you should definitely pay the MIAF a visit this year.

1. The opening ceremony has a vertical stage

Setting the stage for the whole festival (literally), the opening ceremony will feature Kubu+, a vertical stage poised atop St. George’s Square in Valletta. Kubu+ will be composed of moving structures in a piece that lets the audience appreciate the performance across a three-dimensional setting. Featured artists will include Big Band Brothers performing an original score by Daniel Cauchi and Alex Bezzina.

2. Valletta will be transformed into a parkour-esque paradise

Motion in the City is set to run over four days in July and promises to revisit the idea of dance and the use of surroundings. Performed by MalteseMotion, the group of gymnasts and free-runners will be dancing and dishing out acrobatics down Republic Street and all the way into St. George’s Square.

3. The Phantom of the Opera will come to life in Valletta

The 1925 silent-film adaption of Gaston Leroux’s classic The Phantom of the Opera, featuring Lon Chaney, will be screened right inside Fort St. Elmo, to the tune of the amazing Bristol-based four-piece group Minima. Formed back in 2006, Minima are masters of original live soundtracks, and are skilled in playing the cello, double bass, mandolin, autoharp, glockenspiel and double bass amongst many other instruments!

4. Chiara is officially back in the game

That’s right, Malta’s singing sensation and Eurovision alum Chiara herself will be gracing the tail-end of the MIAF. Chiara returns to the stage at Pjazza Teatru Rjal; there, she will be settling into the role of the Mother Superior in the new musical Il-Ħanina Maddalena which centres around three 18th-century sisters living in Valletta’s Mary Magdalene monastery.

5. Your kids can try their hand at stop-motion film

Solar World Cinema’s mission to bring the world of film to everyone through its international network of solar-powered mobile cinemas has now brought it right to Ta’ Xbiex’s doorstep. A screening of the critically-acclaimed stop-motion film Boy and the World will be showcased along the Ta’ Xbiex seafront, and for those who are unable to make the evening screening, a morning stop-motion workshop will be held for children in St. George’s Square, Valletta.

6. A touring orchestra will grace the Manoel Theatre

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will be making its debut performance in Malta on the 1st of July, finally heading to our shores on its tour of the European Union. Featuring the likes of the Malta Youth Orchestra, the night will see life breathed into the works of some of music’s most timeless artists including Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven.

7. Maltese literature is about to get some much deserved love

Local author Immanuel Mifsud has turned one of his most poignant written works into something of a musical wonder and it’s all going down inside the walls of Fort St. Elmo. Daqsxejn ta’ Requiem lil Leli was originally written as part of a discussion on the theme of death during a writers activity in 2016, and has since grown into an audio-visual experience with composer Kris Spiteri lending his talents and Teatru Anon and Vince Briffa bringing their theatrical prowess to the table.

8. Italian theatre is getting a facelift

Coming all the way from Rome, theatre company No Gravity presents ARIA and Divina Commedia. ARIA is a one-night event inside the Manoel Theatre and presents a reinvention of performance straight out of the Italian baroque period, where musicians, dancers, and actors defy the physical space of theatre and perform alongside each other.

Divina Commedia is a reimagining of the classic Dante Alighieri piece by Emiliano Pellisari, and promises a spectacle of aerial acrobatics and magic. This is also a one-night-only performance and will take place inside Fort St. Elmo.

9. Hofesh Shechter himself is coming to Malta

Israeli-born renowned composer-choreographer Hofesh Shechter is bringing one of his most notable and defining works to Malta. Political Mother analyses totalitarianism and political tribalism in a performance by a team of skilled dancers. Cinematic scoring, unbelievable ensembles and the complexity of real-world issues make for a theatrical experience unlike any other.

Shechter’s company will also be delivering a three-hour workshop between the 9th and the 14th of July at the ŻfinMalta Dance Studios. Led by dancers Merel Lammers and Diogo Bolacha de Sousa, the workshop is aimed at dance students, teachers and professionals.

10. You can create your own music with a swing

Interactive set piece BANDLI will return for the duration of the festival, once again bringing the opportunity to unleash your inner child right on Valletta’s streets. As part of a joint effort with the Esplora Interactive Sciences Centre, BANDLI features a number of swings, each equipped with a motion sensor that produces music through swinging. The more public interaction with the BANDLI structure, the more music you get!

11. An actual wooden circus will be roaming the streets

The Karromato Circus is back for another edition of the MIAF! Harking back to the 19th-century, Karromato puts on a show using beautifully-crafted wooden marionettes and relies on traditional special effects of marionette theatres of old. The Karromato Circus will be on site in St. George’s Square on the 6th and 7th of July.

BONUS: there’s a morning programme too

If summer’s got you busier than bees, the Malta International Arts Festival has you covered. Many events will run throughout the morning, all absolutely free! These include workshops, children’s shows, and exhibitions.

Tag a friend and get planning!

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Matthew Baldacchino

Self-titled resident SJW and expressionless in-house Head of Internal Marketing. Matt loves prepping vegan and vegetarian food, consumes way too much coffee, and has an unhealthy penchant for storyboarded Instagram Stories. When he's not trying to figure out social media policies, marketing strategies or cracking SEO conundrums, you can catch him as the host of Basically, Livestream Of Consciousness or Lovin Daily. Hit him up if you've got a story about the environment, arts and culture, health, politics and activism, or LGBTQI+ issues. He's also a doctor, but we don't talk about that.