The 41st edition of the Farsons Beer Festival is under way at  the Ta’ Qali Picnic Area until August 5.  With free entrance, a wide choice of local and international award-winning beers and a full programme of entertainment within four music areas, the festival attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Adriana Lupo, festival coordinator and business support manager at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, said: “We are excited to be back with another edition of this long-awaited event. Always enjoyed by all, this year’s edition once again promises to offer 10 great nights out for all.”

The beers

The festival offers a vast selection of Malta’s leading local and international beers and ciders, which include the full Cisk range: Cisk Lager, Cisk Excel, Cisk 0.0, Cisk Pilsner, Cisk Strong and Cisk Chill, as well as the ever-popular Classic Brews range: Blue Label Amber Ale, Double Red Strong Ale and Green Hop IPA.

International beer brands include Carlsberg, Budweiser, Guinness, Kilkenny, John Smith’s Extra Smooth Ale, Beck’s, Newcastle Brown Ale, Deperados and Corona Extra. The choice of craft and speciality beers includes Grimbergen, St Austell, Baladin and Bellfield, the latter also being gluten-free.

Alcohol-free lagers include Cisk 0.0 and Carlsberg 0.0. Popular cider brands Strongbow, Woodpecker and Bulmer’s Original Cider are also be available.

A food court offering a large variety of food types and cuisines to complement the selection of beers is always a key attraction for festival-goers.

The programme

Although the star of the festival is undoubtedly the beer, the Farsons Beer Festival has always been an important showcase for top local artists and bands.

 This year’s headliner line-up for the Main Stage features Tribali, Ira Losco, The Travellers, Red Electric, The Busker, Brass House Unit ft dj Debrii, Manatapu, Kurt Calleja, Matthew James and current international sensation Shaun Farrugia, fresh from his performance at the BBC Concert Orchestra last month.

Headlining the Rock Stage are bands Forsaken, The Rifffs, BNI, Eyes to Argus, Abysmal Torment, Beesqueeze, Lord Adder, Martyrium, RUG and Fakawi.

Casa Electronica features some of Malta’s most popular DJs, including Joseph Armani, Ruby, DeezTwo, Cedren & Manu-l and Miss Roberta, among others.

The popular Tikka Banda will also be roaming the festival grounds on selected days between 8.30 and 9.30pm, bringing a traditional Maltese festa vibe to the event.

A full programme with timings is available on www.farsonsbeerfestival.com.

Pjazza Kinnie is also back this year with its whimsical and intimate set-up featuring various bands and artists.

Limited edition mug

The official festival beer mug, now a collector’s item, is available for sale at the bars with the beer of choice, until stocks last.

Kids’ area

The children’s area has been greatly improved this year with a varied programme that includes meet and greet sessions with various characters, sing-and-dance-along shows, puppet shows, family games and mini discos. Other activities include inflatable and wooden games, face painting, sand crafts and glitter tattoos.

A detailed programme can be downloaded here: https://farsonsbeerfestival.com/kids-area/.

Visitors may also enjoy roaming the local artisans’ stalls in the crafts market.

Public transport

Once again, special return routes have been organised in collaboration with Malta Public Transport:

From Ta’ Qali to Buġibba:  every 60mins from 10pm to 1am (four trips);

From Ta’ Qali to St Julian’s:  every 60 mins from 10pm to 1am (four trips);

From Ta’ Qali to Birżebbuġa:  every 60 mins from 10pm to midnight (three trips).

All routes depart from the temporary bus stop outside the MFCC car park. Special rates may apply.

More information, including detailed routes, can be found here: www.publictransport.com. mt/en/ the-farsons-beer-festival.

Waste management

In line with Farsons’ ongoing commitment to making the festival greener, a number of initiatives are once again in place, including custom-branded reusable cups which are used to serve beer and ciders. These cups are available for purchase from all the bars, in 25cl and 50cl sizes. A number of rinsing stations are located close to the main bars so the cups can be reused every night throughout the festival.

“This initiative was launched three editions ago and has proved to be hugely successful in reducing single-use plastic within the festival grounds,” Lupo said.

“Visitors are also urged to do their bit by separating and disposing of their waste responsibly at the designated areas throughout the festival grounds.”

BCRS machines are also be available on site for the responsible disposal of all one-way beverage containers, glass, PET and cans. The relevant deposit is refunded in accordance with BCRS.

Susan Weenink Camilleri, head of sales and Marketing at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, said: “The Farsons Beer Festival is a key and highly-anticipated event in the Maltese summer calendar offering a super atmosphere and aimed at all the family. We are proud that we continue to offer free entrance despite the significant increase in costs involved in putting up such a Festival. This is a thank you to our long-standing loyal clients and customers who consume our products throughout the year. We are also proud that throughout the 41 editions, we have continuously evolved and developed the festival in keeping with market trends, making it the successful event it is today.”

Epic chief marketing officer Karl Galea said: “We are happy to once again be the official sponsor of the 41st edition of Farsons Beer Festival. As Malta’s #1 provider, we have much to celebrate this year − where better to do that with our customers, than at the Beer Festival! Come and visit us to see what we’re all about!.”

The Farsons Beer Festival 41st edition is supported by Epic and sponsored by Jack Links’, Mapfre, Playcon, Project Green, Renault, Snickers, Vibe and Wolt.

Doors open at 8pm every night, entrance is free and no entry tickets are required. Visit www.farsonsbeerfestival.com for more information and follow on Facebook and Instagram for news and updates.