Second <i>Notte Bianca</i> probably even more popular

A preliminary estimate has put the number of people who entered Valletta last Saturday for Notte Bianca as higher than the 77,000 who had attended the first edition last year.

Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said a survey would be carried out to determine the figure but he believed it could be close to the 100,000 mark.

Culture, art and entertainment merged for a night to remember with visitors describing it as "amazing" and "something not to be missed".

Over 200 artists were involved in performances throughout the capital city, while museums and other monumental buildings - including Auberge de Castille and the Presidential Palace - opened their doors to the public, some of whom had the opportunity to see them for the first time.

Visitors commented that this year's event seemed better organised. Many had learned a lesson from last year, leaving their cars at home and making use of alternative modes of transport. Last year some 22,000 prospective visitors gave up after getting caught in traffic en route. "It was not difficult to drive into Valletta, although the area round the MPC car park looked pretty congested by buses around 8.30 p.m.," one person noted.

Another said buses were frequent, even in the early hours of the morning, making it easier to sit back and relax rather than brave the traffic and spend hours looking for a parking spot. Others used the ferry service from Sliema.

Such was the crush of people inside the capital that it became difficult to walk down Republic or Merchants streets. But the sheer numbers only added to the lovely atmosphere, which was not marred when a few drops of rain fell late at night.

"There was so much going on that you wished you had more time to do it all. It felt as if there was too much crammed into one night, but at the same time it gave everyone something to enjoy," one person said.

Another agreed, saying that the event should be spread over more than one day in order to give people the opportunity to see more. But Valletta mayor Paul Borg Olivier said this would detract from Notte Bianca's identity.

Catering establishments cashed in, with many setting up tables on the street. At one point a fast food establishment in Republic Street had such a long queue outside the doors that people were joking that it must have been giving away food for free.

And while some people commented about the "unbelievable" amount of litter that could be seen around Valletta during the night, this was mostly all gone by late morning. In fact, Valletta mayor Paul Borg Olivier said some 50 tonnes of rubbish were collected from around the capital.

Dr Borg Olivier said Notte Bianca has given a positive dimension to Valletta, giving people the opportunity to discover the capital city culturally. It attracted people who would not normally attend cultural events.

Dr Zammit Dimech expressed satisfaction with the artistic calibre of the event, which saw some 230 artists taking part and tens of others doing work behind the scenes.

No major incidents were reported during the night, although the medical response team saw some 30 people with minor health problems.