Valletta 2018’s Cultural Programme came to a close last night, with the national New Year’s Eve celebrations in the capital city.

Once again, these celebrations were a success as more than 70,000 people chose to welcome the New Year in Valletta, a statement by Valletta 18 said. Some of the very best of Malta’s local artists gave live performances on the main stage at St George’s Square. These included Ira Losco, Xarulu’, DJ Pierre Cordina and DJ Mykill.

This was the last event to be held as part of the European Capital of Culture programme, which saw more than 400 projects and events unfold across the Maltese Islands, with the participation of over 400,000 people.

It also gave opportunities to thousands of artists and community members to showcase their talents, enrich their cultural ties and participate in large scale events. In fact, around 1,600 local and international artists and more than 3,000 local community members took part in Valletta 2018’s projects and events throughout the year. Most international artists hailed from European countries such as France, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Poland and the United Kingdom, to mention but a few, as well as artists from other countries from North and Central Africa and the Middle East.

The Valletta 2018 Foundation will now continue its work through the Valletta Cultural Agency ― the first cultural agency for Valletta.