Pedestrians enjoying a leisurely stroll on the St Julian’s promenade late last week got more eye-candy than they bargained for as the typically serene landscape temporarily took on an apocalyptic hue thanks to the unexpected appearance of a zombie-like, gory figure on the horizon.

And, while some passers-by were visibly fazed by the scene unfolding in front of them, many others immediately guessed they were witnessing impromptu preparations for Malta’s first Zombie Apocalypse which, as the name implies, will see a massive zombie walk taking place on a national scale.

Zombie walks enjoy a high degree of popularity as part of Halloween festivities partly thanks to cult TV hits.

In time-honoured tradition, the actual event will take place on Halloween weekend, which this year falls on Saturday.

The event sees zombie participants, actors, SFX artists, fire performers, circus acts and Maltese and foreign music acts coming together to create what organiser Ian Hinksman describes as a fully-immersive apocalyptic experience in an attempt to break the national record for the largest amount of zombies in one area.

Zombie walks enjoy a high degree of popularity as part of Halloween festivities in the US, partly thanks to cult TV hits like The Walking Dead, and films like 28 Days Later and Dawn of the Dead.

The walks traditionally feature an orderly group of participants dressed up in typical ‘undead’ gear. The earliest structured walk on record took place in Milwaukee, US, in 2000 as part of a gaming convention, with the 60-odd participants ending up being held by the police due to lack of permits.

Malta’s only recorded zombie walk took place on a smaller scale in 2010, when about 50 friends and acquaintances took to the streets of Sliema and St Julian’s on Halloween night, decked out in full zombie regalia for a structured pub crawl that finished at the now-defunct Coconut Grove in Paceville.

The largest zombie walk recorded by the Guinness Book of Records currently stands at 15,458 people and took place in Minneapolis, US.

And, while the Malta walk is expected to bring a more modest number of undead scrambling for public brains, Mr Hinksman is confident that it will attract more than enough horror aficionados.

“The idea has been germinating for the past few years and now, through Underground Sound, I’m able to bring the concept alive,” he said.

“The company specialises in one-off creative events, so bringing the first Zombie Apocalypseto Malta was a natural next step,” he added.

It’s definitely worth making the effort on a cool costume, as there will also be a best costume competition

Last week’s impromptu mini-walk was designed to give those who still haven’t succumbed to the infection a taster experience, with a professional breakdancer in full make-up doing the rounds of the more popular spots around St Julian’s.

“Needless to say, the phones were out in full force as everyone tried to get a snap of our friendly zombie,” Mr Hinksman, who grew up on a diet of zombie movies, said with a smile. 

On the day, the ‘infection’ is expected to start in several points around Malta, with costumed participants eventually all congregating at Tigullio, in St Julian’s, where the formal bid for the record will be made before everyone parties the night away to the sounds of hip-hop, psy-trance and electronic acts.

“Anyone can take part, and I expect the event to attract zombie and Halloween fans, as well as those who would enjoy being part of a Maltese record-breaking experience, and those who enjoy different experiences.”

Those who would like to be part of the uprising need to bear in mind that costumes are a must – but those who are not feeling too creative in the make-up department can opt to have their look completed on site in St Julian’s, as several artists have been brought in to make sure that everyone looks the part. 

“There will be a full gore set design throughout, as well as a silent cinema playing zombie movies, a meme exhibition and activities like laser tag. It’s definitely worth making the effort on a cool costume, as there will also be a best costume competition.”

The event is open to the public and tickets are available on www.showshappening.com.