Floriana to host first free New Year's Eve street party
The public is being invited to celebrate New Year's Eve at the first street party for the occasion to be held in Floriana, offering the opportunity for free outdoors revelry that other cities around the world hold.
The idea was to have a national activity on the lines of the celebrations in London's Trafalgar Square and Time Square in New York, filling a void for the Maltese, who often travelled to other countries to enjoy their end-of-year party, the Floriana local council said.
Such celebrations were only held in 2000 for the millennium festivities and in 2008 to mark Malta's adoption of the euro.
The local council is being assisted by the parliamentary secretaries for dialogue and for tourism and has identified St Anne's Street, one of Malta's busiest, for the occasion.
A stage will be mounted to host a show throughout the night while entertainment for children, including bouncy castles, trains and animators, will be organised for what is considered a family event.
St Anne Street will be lined with food stalls. Major sound systems and a screen, showing what will be happening on the stage and the celebrations in other countries, will be set up. The show starts at 6.30 p.m. with a New Year's Eve Parade, featuring a band and 300 dancers from various schools, accompanying the arrival of Father Christmas on a karozzin (horse-drawn cab).
A live concert by the Mark Spiteri Lucas Band, with the participation of a number of singers, kicks off on the stage at 9 p.m. but anyone wishing to dance until the early hours of the first day of the year will have music to accompany them.
The climax of the evening that ushers in the New Year will be when the clock strikes midnight, which will be marked by fireworks displays and a shower of confetti and balloons.
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Lucia Davies
Nov 27th 2010, 10:16
Now that Valletta is hosting their event as well,, I am sure we do not have to worry about transport,, how is that for unity in Malta it is a joke,, time will tell whether or not transport is available
K Brincat
Dec 6th 2009, 15:52
Well done to the Floriana Local Council. Finally someone took the initiative for such an event. See you all in St Anne Street on NYE.
Alison Natalie Keeler
Dec 4th 2009, 15:32
A wonderful initiative. However an article appeared yesterday in another of Malta's English language newspapers The Independent, quoting Floriana mayor Nigel Holland as saying the Public Transport Authority (ADT) has not yet confirmed whether public transport will be available beyond normal hours to transport people to Floriana and back... At present, the ADT is not willing to provide public transport after normal hours unless the Floriana council is willing to pay for the service, (payment excludes the ticket fares paid by passengers on boarding the buses).
Surely this situation must be swiftly addressed if what could be a fantastic evening gets railroaded into another night of traffic congestion, heated tempers and disappointed children as people simply can't get to, and then home from, an event.
samuel ramage
Dec 4th 2009, 15:22
Who is going to play the bagpipes? yours 1 Scottish person !!
Milena Aguis
Dec 4th 2009, 13:08
Hooray,ive always wondered why nobody ever thought of it before?Well Done Floriana Local Council!!!Its a relief to be able to go somewhere fun with 3 kids on New Years Eve..restaurants are too boring for them.
Mary Camilleri
Dec 4th 2009, 11:03
It's about time someone took the initiative! We should have a few of these scattered around Malta - starting from the newly-refurbished Pjazza San
Gorg in Valletta. This could also re-kindle the community spirit which is so sadly lacking in most localities nowadays. Come on guys, let's organise it.