What’s on in Malta and Gozo this week: March 2 to 8, 2026

THEATRE

1984

The Manoel Theatre is presenting a new production of George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984 as part of TOI TOI Classics.

Directed by Petra Sant, this award-winning production by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan is an interpretation of the novel that is widely praised for its emotional impact and contemporary relevance.

Set in a world where the totalitarian leader Big Brother is omnipresent, 1984 explores themes of constant surveillance, political repression and the distortion of truth.

The protagonist Winston Smith, portrayed by Edward Caruana Galizia, dares to question the authoritarian regime that governs every aspect of life. His rebellion, however, comes at a cost in a society where independent thought is treated as a crime.

The cast includes Alan Paris, Tina Rizzo and Stephen Oliver, with supporting performances by Nicholas Jackman, Naomi Scicluna, Brendon Thearle, Carla Abela and Alex Weenink.

Adrian Mamo has designed the production’s set, lighting design is by Gianluca Bianco, with additional visual content created by Dylan Odom and sound design by Sergio Costa.

1984 runs from March 6-8 and March 14-15. It is suitable for an audience aged 14+. Tickets from teatrumanoel.mt.

Her Say III

Charlotte Grech directs the third edition of Her Say, featuring more powerful women’s stories, at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, from March 6 to 8.

These stories will explore what it means to be a woman and a mother, when children leave home; what it is like to be a migrant worker in Malta in 2026; and  how the world impacts the lives of young women today.

The script is written by Clare Azzopardi, Lara Agius and Davinia Hamilton, and the cast features Charlotte Formosa, Moira Vassallo and Sandie Von Brockdroff.

A Q&A session will be held on the 6th, featuring guests Sasha Vella and Edward Curmi. The discussion will be moderated by Maria Pisani.

The show is suitable for an audience aged 14+. Tickets from spazjukreattiv.org.

Read more about the show on Times2.

The Big International Women’s Day Show

The Big International Women’s Day Show is back for its third edition at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta on March 7.

The show, which celebrates women artists at the top of their game, begins at 7pm with NGO networking and a cash bar, followed by an 8pm headline show in the Concert Hall.

Hosted by Pia Zammit and certified 17+, the event will feature comedy, music, drag and burlesque from some of Malta’s best known women performers, including Undine LaVerve and Niti Dhingra.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

Manaconda

Maltese comedian Steve Hili is premiering his latest stand-up comedy special, Manaconda, at Theatre Next Door in Naxxar, from March 6 to 8.

The performance, which Hili describes as his most unfiltered and high-energy show to date, draws heavily from his personal life, weaving together candid stories, self-inflicted disasters and moments of blunt honesty.

The show is suitable for an audience aged 18+. Tickets from showshappening.com.

MUSIC

Operatic Concert: Maltese-Bulgarian Music Legacy

The Maltese-Bulgarian Circle is organising a classical vocal music concert to celebrate the National Day of Bulgaria – commemorating the country’s liberation from Ottoman rule – on March 3 at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta.

Now in its second edition, the concert brings together Maltese tenor Alan Sciberras and Bulgarian-born soprano Andriana Yordanova, who has made Malta her second home. Bulgarian baritone Kiril Manolov will be the special guest. The singers will be accompanied on the piano by Bulgarian pianist Boryana Lambreva.

The programme consists of arias and duets from some of the most beloved operatic works, alongside Bulgarian and Maltese operatic numbers.

The concert starts at 7pm. Entrance is free.

Fauré’s Requiem: Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble

The KorMalta Ensemble, conducted by Christopher Muscat, is performing Fauré’s Requiem at the church of St Catherine of Italy, Valletta, on March 6 at noon.

The piece is one of the most beloved sacred works of the Romantic era, characterised by its focus on peace and consolation.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

Vox Dulcis Chorale Women’s Day Concert

Vox Dulcis Chorale is presenting the sixth edition of its annual Women’s Day Concert at the Malta Society of Arts, Valletta, on March 6 at 8pm.

The 22-strong choir will perform a mix of jazz, musical theatre and film, and contemporary songs.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

Read more about the concert on Times2.

From Carmen to Neverland

The Malta Youth Orchestra, under the baton of Robert Hodge, is performing film scores at the Sir Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta, Msida, on March 7 at 7.30pm.

The programme includes Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 2, Debbie Wiseman’s The Fairy Tale of The Selfish Giant, Alan Menken’s Beauty and the Beast Overture and John Williams’s soaring worlds – from Hook to The BFG and the magic of ET.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

The Golden Age of Abba & Boney M

The Gozo Youth Orchestra is celebrating the iconic bands ABBA and Boney M with a large-scale production at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta, on March 7 at 8pm.

The show will feature a 55-piece orchestra, two rock bands − Cash & Band, led by John Cash Cassar, and BM Band, led by Marc Galea − an 18-strong backing choir and leading local singers Dorothy Bezzina, Ludwig Galea, Francesco Nicodeme, Klinsmann Coleiro, Amelia Kalabic and Sarah Bonnici.

Also performing will be guest singers Sean Kamati, Dorothy Borg Bonnici, Cassie Gold, Jessica Magro and Natassja Chapman.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

Her Story in Song: A Tribute to Women’s Strength

The female voices of KorMalta are celebrating women in a concert at the Italian Cultural Institute, Valletta, on March 8 at 11am.

From overlooked pioneers to contemporary local and international composers, the concert honours the many ways women have shaped musical history and continue to do so today.

All proceeds will go towards the Community Chest Fund Foundation.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

Her Story in Song 2: A Celebration of Women in Music

Opera Unleashed is once again honouring the stories, voices and music of extraordinary female composers, in a concert at St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Valletta, on March 8 at 6pm.

Donations from the event will go to The Kintsugi Way, a charity that supports women impacted by sexual trauma, domestic abuse and gender-based violence through healing-focused community programmes.

Registrations are to be made on this online form. Tickets are at a suggested donation of €10.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Kwareżima – Arti, Kult u Tradizzjoni

For the first time, the Verdala Palace in Buskett is hosting a festival of art, culture and tradition related to Lent and Holy Week on March 7 and 8.

Many related activities will come together, such as concerts by bands, a string orchestra and choirs, discussions, presentations, various exhibitions and displays, including ancient and historical artefacts, life-size statues, works made from semolina and salt, vestments, contemporary art, sketches and photography.

Other events include Il-Purċissjoni s-Sewda (Black procession) at night, a children’s procession and the Way of the Cross.

Proceeds will go towards the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation. Tickets from showshappening.com.

Freedom for Rose Spiteri: A Case of Women’s Activism

On March 5, the Jesuits’ Church Foundation is holding a lecture on the case of Rose Spiteri, a mother who was imprisoned on charges of bigamy in the 1980s.

Her story captured public attention across the island: while many expressed sympathy and support, others cautioned against extending clemency.

In the lecture, historian Simone Azzopardi will examine the Spiteri case within the broader context of Malta’s fledgling but increasingly assertive feminist activism in the late 1970s and early 1980s, positioning it as a revealing episode in the history of early women’s mobilisation on the island.

The lecture starts at 6.30pm. Entrance is free but donations are welcome.

whatson@timesofmalta.com