Four days of non-stop music, workshops and revelry at the National Park in Ta’ Qali ended yesterday as the curtain fell on what is considered to be Malta’s greenest and largest alternative music festival.

The 12th edition of Earth Garden, which the organisers say has been growing every year, featured five music areas and about 120 acts from around the world.

Patrons, including many campers, listened and danced to world music, ska, funk, blues, reggae, alternative rock, dub, hip-hop, psychedelic trance, techno, acid, house, electro and drum ‘n’ base, among other genres.

Xtruppaw opened the proceedings on Thursday with their customary satirical show and fellow alternative band Brikkuni wrapped up the event on the main stage last night.

In between there were foreign acts such as Israeli musician Adam Ben Ezra and British groups Tippa Irie and the Lockdown Band, world music band Gypsy Hill and indie group The Carny Villains.

Local groups, such as Bark Disco, The Rifffs, Tribali, Manatapu, Fuzzhoneys and Cushion entertained the colourful crowd.

The line-up also included a long list of local and international deejays like Brian James, Owen Jay, Atmos, Matrixxman and Lucy.

However, the event is not only about music. There was a healing, yoga and meditation area and daily workshops on a multitude of subjects such as tribal fusion belly dance, facial yoga and thai chi.

Chocolate-making sessions were also on the menu.

Earth Garden 2019 featured about 120 acts from around the world.

Earth Garden is also known for its quirky ethnic market, featuring many sustainable and upcycled products set amid a canopy of trees.

The event, supported by the Ministry of Tourism, the Environment Ministry and WasteServ, among other entities, has in recent years introduced a resources-reducing waste management system where waste is reduced at source.

The ‘onecup’ initiative, for example, consist of a reusable cup festivalgoers keep for the duration of the festival.

Thousands of kilogrammes of resources have been diverted from landfill since better waste management efforts started in 2015.