Refugee Week Malta 2026 Explores “Qlubija” This June

Refugee Week Malta, the local edition of the world's largest arts and culture festival celebrating the creativity, contributions and resilience of people seeking sanctuary, will take place from 15 to 21 June 2026.

The week-long festival will bring together artists, communities, NGOs, civil society organisations, cultural institutions and individuals from across Malta and beyond.

Coordinated locally by Dance Beyond Borders Foundation and supported by Arts Council Malta, together with a broad network of cultural, public and private partners, Refugee Week Malta provides a platform for dialogue, creativity and connection through a diverse programme of events and activities.

Malta itself is a country shaped by movement, where migration forms part of family histories, collective memory and lived experience across generations.

Against this backdrop, Refugee Week Malta 2026 invites audiences to reflect on courage not as something distant or abstract, but as a quality deeply rooted in everyday life and shared human experience.

This year's festival is inspired by the international theme of Courage, interpreted locally through the Maltese word Qlubija. While both Qlubija and Kuraġġ can be translated as courage, the organisers chose Qlubija because it conveys a deeper and more heartfelt understanding of the concept.

Derived from the Semitic root q-l-b, meaning heart, the word reflects courage that is rooted in compassion, empathy and humanity. It also highlights the rich linguistic and cultural influences that have shaped the Maltese language through centuries of exchange and movement between peoples.

Through the theme "Qlubija: Courage Rooted in the Heart", the festival shines a light on the everyday realities faced by refugees and people seeking sanctuary. For many, courage means embarking on uncertain journeys, learning new languages, adapting to unfamiliar environments and rebuilding their lives despite significant challenges. It is also the courage required to face each day with hope and determination.

The festival has been developed through a collaborative process involving an Advisory Group made up of people with lived experience of migration, alongside representatives from the arts and cultural sectors. Their contribution helps ensure that the programme remains inclusive, representative and community-led.

This year's edition features more than 30 events created in partnership with artists, organisations, activists and communities. Through artistic, cultural and participatory activities, the festival creates opportunities for reflection, discussion and meaningful engagement around migration, asylum and displacement.

The programme is organised around four strands: Take Part, Learn and Discuss, For Families and Kids, and Watch and Experience.

Together, these strands offer a wide range of opportunities for audiences of all ages to engage through performances, workshops, conversations, shared meals and community experiences.

Refugee Week Malta 2026 is also collaborating with around 40 organisations, collectives and public entities working in the fields of migration, human rights, culture, food and environmental sustainability. The festival's media partner is African Media Association Malta, while support is also being provided by several organisations from the public and private sectors.

At a time when division and exclusion continue to shape public discourse in many parts of the world, Refugee Week Malta encourages compassion, understanding and solidarity. It is an invitation to celebrate diversity, strengthen community bonds and imagine more welcoming futures together.

Full programme and updates available at: www.refugeeweekmalta.com

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