Malta International Arts Festival: From Earth to Art

The Malta International Arts Festival returns from June 12–21, 2026 with a multidisciplinary programme exploring the connection between nature, creativity, and artistic expression. This year’s edition introduces the implicit theme From Earth to Art, with several performances and installations centred around the transformative use of earth and sand.

The 10-day festival features various genres, including visual arts, contemporary and classical music, as well as dance performances within such venues as the Manoel Theatre, the Valletta Underground, and the Malta Society of Arts.

Festival highlights include three large-scale sand sculptures in Valletta, Bormla and Birżebbuġa, two piano recitals dedicated to pianists and their compositional work, which includes maestro Joseph Vella and Alexander Vella Gregory, as well as an extraordinary concert by Malta’s own national orchestra, among others. 

ZfinMalta. Photo: Alexandra Pace

A festival staple, ‘M.A.D. – Music & Dance’ returns for the seventh edition on June 17 and 18. The dance performance features a dance residency uniting local and international artists to create different choreographies set to dynamic contemporary works by George Crumb, John Adams, and Krzysztof Penderecki.

 

Between June 16 and 18, for four consecutive days, Maltese flautist Laura Cioffi and Greek performance artist Myrgon will lead various unique and intimate performances in the evocative setting of the underground 500-year-old cistern site in Valletta.

 

Laura Cioffi. Photo: Brian Hartley

In collaboration with Dance Beyond Borders and Refugee Week Malta, the Malta International Arts Festival joins forces for a community art project that brings together participants from refugee and local communities. Italian sand artist Michela Ciappini will lead the creation of a large-scale sand sculpture depicting Pegasus; the mythological winged horse from Greek mythology, soaring above decorative sea-wave motifs.

On June 19, the festival presents ‘Myrgon & Labyrinth’, a double-bill programme with two unique projects. The first part features Greek artist Myrgon with a ritual performance using raw clay as an extension of his body. The second part of the programme is a collaboration between Spanish artist Oscar Rodríguez Vila and ŻfinMalta, combining contemporary dance with the visual backdrop of a sand sculpture.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra presents an exciting programme for a string orchestra on June 20 at the Manoel Theatre. This concert features Michael Laus behind the baton and the piano keyboard for Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Piano and String Orchestra (1979).

Malta International Arts Festival 2026.

On the last day of the festival, June 21, Gisèle Grima shall perform Knejjes I by Alexander Vella Gregory – the first 6-part instalment of a cycle of 24 pieces, each inspired by a different church in Valletta at the Malta Society of Arts.

The festival will take place from June 12 to 21. For tickets and more information, please visit festivals.mt/miaf.



The Malta International Arts Festival is organised by Festivals Malta, sponsored by Schweppes, and with the support of the Ministry for the Arts, Culture and National Heritage.