More than beer at Farsons festival

Thousands of litres of beer are expected to flow at this year's edition of the Farsons Beer Festival, which will kick off at Ta' Qali on Friday.

Now in its 24th year and starting daily at 7.30 p.m., the festival promises to be a great treat even for teetotallers. There is no entrance fee.

The festival is a 10-day feast of music, food and drink. Topping the bill on the entertainment side will be the now famous - although some would say infamous - character Frankie Quattromani, who possesses heaps of raw talent and rose to fame straight off the parvis of the village square, complete with his makeshift outfit and his insufferable caged mute 'song bird', Kukku.

Quattromani will be at the festival on Wednesday next week, and he will go round the crowd shouting the most unexpected of questions that often beg several answers, the correctness of which will very much depend on which side of the fence you happen to be.

The main attraction between next Monday and August 1 will be that diva of Maltese young vocalists Ira Losco, who will be at the Vodafone stand signing her latest CD I'm in Love Again.

Some of the island's other top performers will be making use of two stages, one of which will be set up for rock bands.

This is the first year that the festival is being boosted by a number of sponsors all of whom will have their own stand. A special area dedicated to children has been set up with many games and activities to fire their imagination.

www.farsons.com/beerfestival