Around 110,000 people attended the events held on the opening of Valletta’s stint as European Capital of Culture, the government said in a statement this morning.

People were treated to spectacular shows in four of Valletta’s most popular squares while other attractions and productions were staged along the route from one place to the next.

The night came to a close with an open-air concert by DJ Tenishia and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra at St George’s Square.

Around 1,000 artists and 450 production team members took part in yesterday’s shows, described as the biggest artistic event Malta has ever seen.

The government said it had received very positive feedback about the event, including from European commissioner for Culture Tibor Navracsics and some delegations from some 20 European cities that have been or will be European capitals of culture.

Saturday’s events were also covered in the international press, with stations like RAI, SKY, Euronews, RTL and Central China Global Network (CCGN) all reporting on the festivities.

Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici and V18 Parliamentary Secretary Deo Debattista thanked the Valletta 2018 Foundation and all artists and crew who took part in the event and its transmission on TV.

They also thanked the Cleansing Directorate, which cleaned up Valletta’s roads during the night.

Some 400 other events will be held throughout the year as part of the V18 cultural programme.