The tenth edition of the Malta International Fireworks Festival returns next weekend.
Free of charge, this year’s spectacle will take place on Friday, 29 April and Saturday, 30 April, between 9 and 11.30pm on both days, with Grand Harbour set to provide the perfect backdrop for one of Malta’s most loved annual events, Mario de Marco, parliamentary secretary for tourism, said yesterday.
“The festival will include fireworks displays designed and produced by foreign pyrotechnic companies, as well those produced by the best local manufacturers.
“The displays will be synchronised with music playing in the background, while the public will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite fireworks display in a competition among the five local pyrotechnical companies which will take part in this year’s festival.
“We all know how local crowds thoroughly enjoy fireworks displays, and this year the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) is promising the most spectacular fireworks festival yet,” Dr de Marco said.
Every local fireworks company will produce a fireworks display which will last between six to seven minutes; those who will vote in the competition by SMS will pay €0.58.
The festival’s organisers are asking the public to vote for their favourite display based on colour, originality and choreography.
Dr de Marco added that fireworks displays have always been popular throughout Malta’s history, and were even a favourite pastime of the Knights of St John way back in the 16th century.
During the festival, fireworks companies from Austria, Italy and Venezuela will also produce their own pyromusical displays while the local companies which will take part in the competition are from Gudja, Qrendi, Mgarr and Siggiewi.
Moreover, local musicians Claudia Faniello, William Mangion and the Red Electrick and Chasing Pandora bands will, in between displays, belt out some of their most popular hits.
MTA CEO Josef Formosa Gauci said that the MTA is working very hard, mostly with local councils, to ensure that there is a major attraction happening in Malta almost every weekend.
Some of the major events which will follow the fireworks festival for the month of May include agricultural activities in the villages of Dingli and Kirkop.
Mr Formosa Gauci said that 30% of tourists who visit Malta do so as a result of recommendations from family or friends who have visited the island before.
"It is of utmost importance that while we should continue to promote brand Malta for what it is, we have to come up with new ideas and events which will further entice more tourists to visit Malta in the future.
"The Malta International Fireworks Festival is not only well attended by both locals and tourists, but it has become a permanent fixture in the MTA’s events calendar and usually marks the start of the Maltese tourist season,” Mr Formosa Gauci said.