Election campaign ends with final pitches and music extravaganzas

The 2026 election campaign wrapped up in style on Thursday with a music extravaganza from both major parties but not before the two political leaders made their final pitches to supporters.

While Labour leader Robert Abela told his party faithful at the Granaries in Floriana he still had the same energy as when he first took office, Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg urged his supporters to vote for change.

Supporters might have turned up for the politics, but on Thursday night it was the music that stole the show as each camp was treated to high energy trance anthems from international DJs and crowd-pleasing tunes.

A sea of red at the Granaries in Floriana for the Labour Party. Photo: PL

Both Labour and the Nationalist Party turned their final mass meetings into a music spectacle using world-renowned artists such as Armin van Buuren and Dimitri Vegas to draw in the crowds.

A sea of red-clad Labour supporters thronged the Granaries in Floriana as the Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren starred in a line-up of international performers including the American singer-songwriter Ultra Naté, and a host of local artists such as Carlo Gerada, Cliff Zammit Stevens, Darryl, Dodz, Joseph Armani & Denzil, Jjoy, Koroma, Lio, Miggy, Tenishia, Zrinz and Ziggy& Daecolm.

International DJ Armin van Buuren was the star attraction at the PL's mass meeting in Floriana, after the political speeches. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Van Buuren is one of the worlds’ best known electronic artists and does not come cheap. His booking fee typically ranges between $150,000 and $500,000 per show although that price reportedly fluctuates depending on “logistical factors”.

PN supporters packed Luxol Ground for the final mass meeting billed as a mass festival. Photo: PN

Meanwhile the Luxol ground in Pembroke was filled to bursting with blue-clad supporters waving their PN maduma flag as they cheered and danced at their final mass meeting that was originally billed as a “mass festival”.

Not to be outdone by the PL, the Nationalists booked Belgian DJ and producer Dimitri Vegas to headline their event. Vegas has performed at major electronic music festivals, including Tomorrowland. Vegas is known for tracks Thank you (Not so bad), featuring Like Mike, Tiesto and Dido, and tracks Hey Baby, and Arcade. 

International DJ Dimitri Vegas entertaining the crowd at the PN "mass festival" in Luxol Ground. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Vegas also reportedly commands a booking fee ranging around $400,000 although that can fluctuate significantly.

The PN’s entertainment line up included Ben Purplle, Cieca and the Cassettes, Dom, Gabii, Izak, Jessica Micallef, Kurt Calleja, Nikki VP, Pocci and Versatile.

But before the real party got going, the PN and PL had one final chance to rally support. The PL warmed up the crowd with speeches by deputy party leader Alex Agius Saliba who said this was the "most difficult" election a party has ever faced as no other party had ever won four consecutive elections.

Deputy prime minister Ian Borg harked back to the iconic Labour mass meeting at Hal Far 13 years ago when the party, then in opposition, promised change.

But the honour of introducing party leader Robert Abela fell to his wife, Lydia, who spoke about her humble background and how the couple met at a Labour mass meeting.

Abela told supporters he still had the same energy as when he first took office but took the opportunity to apologise for any "wrong decisions" his government had taken, adding he shouldered all responsibility.

Meanwhile, over at Luxol Ground, the Nationalist Party introduced every single candidate on stage before Opposition leader Alex Borg walked down a red and white walkway with his partner Sarah Bajada, wiping tears of emotion.

Towards the end of a speech that lasted close to an hour, he later found his eyes welling up again as he paid tribute to his deceased father and pledged his party would take the country from chaos to real choice for the future.