Summer 2021 is finally with us and as the country begins approaching the light at the end of the tunnel, cultural events are beginning to see the light of day.

To the delight of many, some of the island’s most beloved events are beginning to make a return, amongst them the Malta International Arts Festival (MIAF), who are not only redefining safely-produced cultural events but also curating interdisciplinary collaborations which not only welcome international artists but promote some of the finest local talent.

The programme will feature a multitude of events, most of which will be ticketed live events which will follow all directives issued by the Health Authorities including limited seating with pre-booking, temperature checks at the door, sanitisation stations, social distancing and so on.

Although the festival will be spread out over the month of July, you can already watch ‘Fejn il-Baħar’ on the Malta International Arts Youtube Channel and Facebook Page. ‘Fejn il-Baħar’ is a music video with a new musical arrangement by Kris Spiteri, featuring 11 local singers and some of Malta’s finest musicians for a Maltese rendition of The Characters’ Down by the Water.

For lovers of classical music, the Valletta Campus Theatre will host the exhilarating avant-garde Chamber Concert with an unmistakable ensemble of musicians from the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday 3rd July, followed by MAD – Music & Dance on the 7th. The second edition of the MIAF’s Music & Dance will showcase dance artists from the MIAF dance residency as they perform to Gaby Davies and Pamela Kerr’s three new choreographies accompanied by hypnotic piano works by Theodore Antoniou, Béla Bartók and Olivier Messiaen. The event will also feature the Moveo Dance company with a choreography from Sara Accettura.

On July 10, the MIAF together with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) will present Bartók – Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, an enlightening musical display at Valletta’s iconic Pjazza Teatru Rjal. The same venue will host the Barcelona Guitar Trio on July 11, welcoming a trio of Spanish virtuosos which will pay tribute to legendary Spanish artist Paceo de Lucía

This year the Malta International Arts Festival will also include a continuation of last year’s Dance Collective, titled ‘Elements’, which features a collaboration of dance between numerous local dance schools and a three-part video series by ZfinMalta and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra titled ‘Funk’, ‘Twisting Lanscapes’ and ‘Mishima’. Then, classical music and cinema lovers will rejoice at the showing of Beethoven Forever on July 21 & July 24. The family-friendly performance will showcase excerpts the iconic composer’s nine symphonies, accompanied by customised digital animation, narrative illustrations and unique storytelling.

he variety of talent performing at the festival is a testament to the island’s artistic prowess and, together with arriving foreign acts, makes for a month of unforgettable exhibits and showcases which will culminate with two performances from Guilhem Desq, a musician unlike any you’ve ever seen who breathes new life into the medieval ‘hurdy gurdy’ instrument, fusing genres like contemporary rock, electro, traditional European folk and so much more.

The Malta International Arts Festival is produced by Festivals Malta. For more information about these events and how to book tickets, please visit www.festivals.mt/miaf

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