Local photography enthusiasts with an eye for folklore have the chance to compete globally and win a cash prize in the process.

Wiki Loves Folklore is an international photography contest that focuses on the folk culture, tradition, and heritage of different regions. Photos can capture folk games, folk wear, traditional song and dance, customs, and religion.

A traditional cane worker. Photo: StudioSelinous CC-by-SA via Wikimedia Commons

The competition is organised by volunteers contributing to Wikimedia Commons, a sister project of Wikipedia, the world’s largest encyclopaedia.

This is the fourth time Malta is participating in the Wiki Loves Folklore and this year, local participants will once again be in for the chance to win international and national prizes.

The winner will be awarded a $400 (€385) prize, with other prizes including a €200 voucher for photography equipment from PhotoCity, in Valletta and books from local publishers, including Midsea Books, Kite and Merlin Publishers.

The top winning pictures will be published by Times of Malta.

Band club musicians perform during a traditional feast. Photo: AntonellaVella CC-by-SA via Wikimedia Commons

A farmer picks prickly pears using a homemade picker. Photo: Kikku33 CC-by-SA via Wikimedia Commons

A man slips off the traditional ġostra. Photo: Jonathan Borg CC-by-SA via Wikimedia Commons

Entrants have until March 31 to submit photos that capture local folk culture and heritage, as part of the Wiki Loves Folklore international and local competition.

Since the competition takes place throughout the months of February and March, locals can look at recent feasts and celebrations, such as the Feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck, Carnival, and preparations for Lent and Holy Week for inspiration.

The prizes for the 2025 edition of Wiki Loves Folklore in Malta are administered by Wikimedia Community Malta, and partly funded through a grant from the Wikimedia Foundation.

What are the prizes?

Participants are in the chance of bagging $400 (€375) as first prize, $200 (€192) for second and $100 (€96) for coming third.

The first prize for the Wiki Loves Folklore in Malta is €200 worth of photographic equipment from PhotoCity in Valletta.

If your photo comes second, you can get a €100 voucher from a local book publisher (or €50 Amazon gift card), and the third prize lands you a €50 voucher (or a €25 Amazon gift card).

There’s also a special prize (a €100 voucher from a local book publisher) for the best image of a community band, which is part of the WikiProject Każini.

National results will be announced by the end of April by the Wikimedia Community Malta, while international results will be declared by July at Wiki Loves Folklore 2025 page.

Times of Malta’s Wikimedian in Residence, Toni Sant, said the community is always pleasantly surprised with the international response photos from Malta generate on these global contests.

“We have high hopes for photos from Malta to be included in the Wiki Loves Folklore international top 20, just as we’ve seen happen with Wiki Loves Monuments in previous years.”

Last year, 21 locals participated in the international competition, out of a total of 1,810 participants from 132 countries.

So far this year, 14 local photo enthusiasts have uploaded about 200 photos from participants for Wiki Loves Monuments 2025 in Malta.