The revamped St George’s Square in Valletta will join other capitals around the world on December 31 for Malta’s first official national New Year’s Eve countdown.

“Practically every capital city in the world has its New Year’s Eve event, and this year we’re going to be organising it ourselves,” Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli told The Sunday Times.

The council has commissioned party veterans G7, who have organised the Malta Music Week among other events .

So far, local chart-topping band Winter Moods and DJs Pierre Cordina and Tony Tony have been confirmed for entertainment on the evening, while other acts have yet to confirm their participation.

“It’s going to be open to everyone, especially to families,” Dr Dingli said. “Year after year we realised that a certain band of people did not have anywhere to go, so we wanted to create an alternative.”

Despite competition from other commercial parties around the island, the mayor is confident there will be a good turout for the event.

“It’s something new, but we have a very strong line-up, so we should have a good turnout.”

The organisers are working hard on a countdown befitting a national celebration, and G7 director Owen Spiteri said fireworks were among the items on the programme for the big night. “We’re hoping this will become an annual national event.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel here, we’re just trying to organise a New Year’s Eve celebration like other countries do,” Mr Spiteri said.

The event is also being supported by the Malta Tourism Authority, as it addresses a lacuna which tourists had previously complained about. Dr Dingli said tourists visiting Malta over the festive season, especially Italians, lamented that nothing really happened on the island on New Year’s Eve.

“This is not a city activity – this is a national event,” Dr Dingli said.

The closest Malta ever got to a national New Year’s Eve celebration was at the turn of the century, though many had complained then that the event had been hijacked by politicians.