The Valletta Waterfront has announced a programme of Christmas activities centred around entertainment and tradition.
"We have included highlights which take visitors back to the traditional elements, like the crib, the Christmas fair and the Christmas concert, rounding off with an aerial fireworks display in Grand Harbour to welcome in the New Year," said Joshua G. Giordimaina, Marketing Executive (Landside) of VISET Malta, developers and operators of the Valletta Waterfront.
The anchor attraction for this year's programme is the Christmas fair run by Inspire Foundation (Razzett tal-Hbiberija and Eden Foundation). This will consist of various stands set up along the common areas of the Valletta Waterfront promenade, selling from second-hand books, to plants and flowers, including the traditional ponsiettas.
In Santa's House, visitors may warm up to mulled wine, traditional imbuljuta and kafé tal-istanjata. The fair will run until 23rd December from Monday to Friday between 7 pm until 11 pm and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10 am to 11 pm.
Children will be entertained at a games area with inflatable jumping castles, pony rides around Valletta departing from Valletta Waterfront, go-kart track etc. Animators will also take to the streets to entertain the visiting public.
On December 7, Martin Farrugia also kicks off a 30-hour fund-raising spinning marathon starting at 4 pm with the aim of finishing the following day at 10 pm.
On December 18, a Christmas voice and string ensemble concert, organised by the Barocco Cultural Events, will be held in the Sagrestia Vault (entrance through the chapel), featuring some well-loved sacred arias and Christmas carols such as excerpts from Handel's works ‘The Lord's Prayer', Mascagni's ‘Ave Maria' and other medleys. Performers will include soprano Marita Bezzina, tenor Frans Mangion, and harpist and pianist Lydia Buttigieg.
A Christmas Mass will also be held in the chapel on December 24 at 8.30 pm.
Other activities include a radio-controlled powerboats show on December 20 from 10.30 am onwards. A static display of these "toys for boys", smaller radio-controlled versions of the real powerboats, will be followed with races in the Laguna afterwards.
A crib exhibition will be held in the Sagrestia Vault between December 21 and January 5.
On December 23, the popular AFM Band will hold a street performance along the Valletta Waterfront from 8 pm onwards.
On the night of December 31, a professionally-recorded countdown will be played over the loudspeaker system a few seconds before midnight. At the stroke of midnight, Valletta Waterfront patrons will enjoy a short but spectacular aerial fireworks display which will be fired from the Grand Harbour. Confetti will also be fired from the rooftop of the Waterfront façade.
During this period, apart from the usual parking facilities, additional parking will be available on the quays.