Historic cities to be culture hubs

A number of cultural activities ranging from music and dance to historical re-enactments and local food will bring alive Malta and Gozo's historic cities during the Historic Cities Festival to be held between October 7 - 17.

The intensive programme of activities in Valletta, Mdina, Cottonera and Victoria will include daily events and guided tours to such venues as the Museum of Archaeology, in Valletta and the Inquisitor's Palace, in Vittoriosa, as well as free trips on the traditional dghajsa in the Grand Harbour and painting and photographic exhibitions in different venues.

The highlights of the festival are expected to be Giuseppe Verdi's opera Nabucco to be staged at the Aurora Theatre, in Gozo and recitals of Gregorian chant in a number of churches.

The Valletta Military Tatoo, a series of pageants that will be held in Palace Square with the participation of foreign military bands, police bands and majorette groups, will bring the festival to a close on October 16 and 17. In the evening, activities will not stop. There will be a series of musical evenings in the squares of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua, with parades from a Gibraltar band, a performance by well-known Maltese singers and a poetry recital at St Lawrence church.

Speaking in front of the Mdina cathedral yesterday, Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said the main aim of the festival was to put the country on the international calendar of cultural activities, especially during the tourist off-peak season.

The Historic Cities Festival, in fact, was one of the first projects with which the Malta Tourism Authority had started to target particular niches when marketing Malta abroad, according to a declared policy often mentioned by Dr Zammit Dimech. In this case, Malta was being marketed as a cultural destination.

The minister said that through the festival Malta would offer an authentic experience, adding that the event was one of national importance.

"The identity expressed by our historic cities will be a truly unique experience that neighbouring countries cannot offer since it is unique to Malta," Dr Zammit Dimech said.

Tourists were being offered a scheme of discounts as an incentive to attend the festival.

A full programme of events can be obtained from the festival's website, www.maltafestivals.com, by sending a request via e-mail on events@visitmalta.com or by calling 6996 073/4 or 2123 1392.

The festival, for which the government is forking out about Lm50,000, is being sponsored by Bank of Valletta plc.