Notte Bianca: Bigger and better

It is a bigger Notte Bianca in Valletta tonight with more than 170 activities taking place in the capital spreading as far as the Waterfront.

The evening is being held as originally planned after the Courts yesterday rejected a request by two companies to stop lighting and sound contracts from being issued.

The many visitors who turned up, a good number of them wearing the requested white, were quickly filling bars, restaurants and shops which are staying open throughout the night.

The city’s cultural gems were also open to the public, most hosting particular activities, including music, dance and drama in all the main squares. Museums are staying open late into the night and entrance is free.

The whole of Valletta is featuring festa decorations and churches and chapels are staying open for religious activities, exhibitions and concerts. The Palace and all ministries are also open.

Events, which kicked off at 6 p.m., include animation for children, historical re-enactments, a fashion show, tours around the city, a parade by the police precision drill team and a crib-making display.

The Museum of Fine Arts is featuring several rare exhibits, including proposals made in 1914 by Antonio Sciortino for a Monument to the Unknown Soldier.

Rare film footage of Malta at war and other highlights of the island's history, forming part of the archives of the Department of Information, is being screened at the Aula Magna of the Old University Building in St Paul Street.