This year’s Gћanafest, from May 30 to June 1, will this year revolve around the gypsy theme, with bands from Spain, Croatia and Israel apart from the Maltese Ghana.

Organised under the auspices of Fondazzjoni Ċelebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali in collaboration with Valletta 2018 Foundation and supported by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and the Culture Ministry, it will again be held at Argotti Gardens in Floriana.

During the festival, local artisans will work on their crafts on site and there will also be a children’s workshop on tberfil, the decorative painted lettering often found on the old buses.

The foreign bands include BGKO (Barcelona Gypsy Klezmer Orchestra), Cinkuši (from Croatia) and Ramzailech (from Israel).

The Maltese bands range from Mistura and Frank O’Neill on Friday night to Kantilena on Sunday night.

Of course Gћanafest remains the biggest local showcase of gћana, offering a unique opportunity to experience the different styles of Maltese folk music.

The qarċilla - the wedding parody which was revived for this year’s Carnival - will make a return, accompanied by a musical element, on Saturday evening.

Tickets, at €3 per evening or €7 for a three-day block ticket, will be available at the door.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.