The winners in the competitive contests of Carnival 2020 have been announced, with the organisers praising the participants and describing this year’s edition as a “resounding success”.
“Through careful planning and a great deal of preliminary work throughout the year, we can proudly say that this year’s initiatives were all positively received by the public,” Festivals Malta director Annabelle Stivala, said.
She added that through some changes, including the complete redesign of St George’s Square amid other initiatives, Festivals Malta managed to create “a better carnival experience for participants and enthusiasts alike” and that despite the substantial increase in carnival companies, all enthusiasts managed to adhere to the regulations.
A better carnival experience
“Valletta came to life for the whole five days. Republic Street saw thousands of locals and tourists, and the enclosure at St George’s Square was sold out every day,” Jason Busuttil, the carnival’s artistic director, commented.
This year’s edition combined traditional elements with new initiatives, one of them being the Tritoni Carnival Celebrations, which was organised in collaboration with the Valletta Cultural Agency and saw a performance by DJ Tenishia.
“Through DJ Tenishia, we have managed to broadcast the carnival atmosphere to 900,000 viewers worldwide. Given the success of this online transmission, we have managed to generate even more interest in our carnival overseas,” Mr Busuttil said.
Preparations are already under way for the summer edition of carnival, which will take place from August 21 to 23.
Festivals Malta are also planning workshops for participants in the coming weeks with the aim of further improving the level of work presented during carnival.
The winners
Companies Section A: Maġija mużikali fuq dgħajjes kulturali by Manuel Pace and Stefania Gellel − Putullu u Stephania Gellel Carnival Company.
Companies Section B: Sinfonia Allegra by Clinton Abela Galea – Għaqda Kultura u Armar Marija Annunzjata Tarxien.
Kids Companies Section C: Incantesimo by Gabriella Stagno Piscopo – Lookstar Dancers Tarxien.
Companies Section D: Piuma D’Orata by Joseph Abela Galea – Joseph Abela & Friends Tarxien.
Triumphal Floats Section A: Tomorrowland ma’ Tribali bi spettaklu oriġinali by Antoine Grech and Donald Balzan with Step in plus − DonPe Carnival Company.
Triumphal Floats Section B: Bil-baħar u l-ajru ġejna għax l-Amerika skoprejna by Ronald Ghiller and Redeemer Casha – Ta’ Nena Carnival Group.
Triumphal Floats Section Ca: Tlift iż-żarbuna x’ħin irfistek bit-takkuna by Charlie Briffa – Tal-Banda Carnival Troupe.
Triumphal Floats Section Cb: Il-mummji Eġizzjani u Cleo-patra mit-tron tarana by Costantino Gouder and Nicholas Gouder – Ta’ Custo Carnival Company.
Grotesque masks: Fl-ewwel karnival li armajna, bil-qwiel aħna tlajna by Bjorn Bonett and James Azzopardi – ĊaqquBon Carnival Company.