Malta to mark EU's 50th birthday

Music, parties, sport activities and especially informative discussions will be the order of the day as Malta joins 26 other countries for the EU's 50th birthday party.

The celebrations also include three days of events at Nadur after the local council secured a €60,000 grant from the European Parliament.

"We're celebrating 50 years of peace and prosperity... Now let's look way beyond," Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Frendo told a news conference, as he unveiled the programme with the theme Flimkien mill-1957 (Together since 1957).

The event will kick off on March 3 with a three-week European film festival, organised by the European Commission Representation in Malta.

In the absence of a proper EU monument, the authorities are planning to inaugurate an EU Peace Grove in Valletta, with a tree representing each of the EU countries. The site has not been yet decided.

Several events will take place in the weekend of March 24 and 25, including a street party at City Gate, Valletta. The Sliema Symphony Band will sound the tune for a Celebrity Concert for Europe, which will take place on March 24 at the University theatre.

On Tuesday, April 3, the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta, will host Beethoven's 9th Symphony performed by the Maltese National Orchestra and the Collegium Musicum with the participation of Maltese and German soloists.

The events will culminate on May 9 with Europe Day with a number of activities organised in Republic Street, Valletta.

Nadur will be the main venue for the Gozo celebrations between March 23 and 25.

The village's main square will host acclaimed Italian artists Matia Bazar and Riccardo Fogli, as well as Olivia Lewis and Klinsmann Coleiro, among others.

Local producers of traditional products and manufacturers will have a stand to present the specialities of Gozo. Another part of the square will be taken up by a photo exhibition highlighting the milestones of the European integration process.