Around 80,000 to 100,000 people are expected to flood the streets of Valletta next Saturday.

The city will be celebrating the launch of Valletta 2018, which will see the capital assume the status of European Capital of Culture.

Four public spaces – Triton Square, St George’s Square, Castille Square and St John’s Square – will host song and dance to entertain the crowds. Each square will be the venue for a 20-minute kick-off show at 7pm, with encores every hour on the hour until 11pm.

Read: 400 events in 365 days: Valletta 2018 cultural programme launched

An after-party organised by Tenishia and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will close off the celebrations in St George’s Square.

The after-party is set to kick off at 11.30pm.

Police said yesterday that vehicles will not be allowed access into Valletta after 5pm and organisers are recommending the use of public transport.

Read: Valletta 2018 Festival

Read: Valletta abuzz with culture

Valletta-registered vehicles however will be able to access the city from the December 13 road underpass and via the waterfront.

Buses will drop off passengers at the Floriana Mall and board from St Anne Street. The transport system will be running until 2am.

A week-long festival is currently taking place in anticipation of the opening celebrations.

Performers took the festivities to the streets yesterday, inviting people to join in the celebrations.

Meanwhile, the King’s Own Philharmonic Society also opened its doors to the public for visits to its music archives.

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.