A jam-packed programme of music, theatre, dance and visual arts will mark the fifth anniversary of the Malta Arts Festival, which will take place between July 1 and 23.
More than 250 foreign and Maltese artists will appear in a three-week extravaganza of events taking place in various venues.
The festival kicks off with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of world-renowned conductor Wayne Marshall, performing at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
Other musical performances include the Carnyx Brass Trio from the UK, featuring Maltese horn player Etienne Cutajar, and the New Choral Singers under the direction of Robert Calleja.
Dance features with two French productions. La Compagnie du Solitaire will present the iconic dance performance Sans, while La Companie Julien Lestel return to Malta with their latest production Costance, a performance based on D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover.
The Italian theatre ensemble Laboratorio di Castaldo will add humour with their contemporary theatre piece Katharsis, while Shakespeare lovers can enjoy the Bard's comic masterpiece A Midsummer Night's Dream by the Shakespeare's Globe Touring Company.
For this year's edition, Maltese theatre ensemble Theatre Anon has been commissioned to produce a new work specially designed for the festival. Theatre Anon will perform Ospizio with a cast of over 50 Maltese performers, running for six nights at the Ospizio in Floriana.
A new idea being introduced, dubbed SPACESIspazi, involves artists being assigned disused buildings to transform them temporarily into creative spaces.
The project is curated by Lisa Gwen Baldacchino and will take place in Strait Street in Valletta.
The art and wine festival Strada will again feature this year.
The above are but a few of the events that will be on next month, with several being free of charge. Tickets for events are on sale at www.maltaticket.com starting at €15, with students and senior citizens at €10.
Tickets can also be purchased from Agenda Bookshops, Exotique outlets, Vodafone Outlets, Bookends and Newskiosk. Admission for all events is free for children under 12.
Log on to www.maltaartsfestival.com for the full programme.