For the first time in decades, Labour has revamped its May Day celebrations.

Gone are the floats, which date back to the Battle of Flowers days when the party tried to shift Carnival to May, the marches by the Brigata Laburista, the march by the leadership from Castille down Merchants Street and then on to Republic Street.

Instead, there will be a programme, which, to many, will seem like a mid-afternoon version of the Notte Bianca and Notte Magica events, with the accent being on music.

All the way from Palace Square to Freedom Square, Valletta will be a celebration of music, the party announced yesterday. Of course, the path being followed echoes that of the Italian trade unions, which found it was far more worthwhile holding concerts on May Day than the boring political speeches of old.

Palace Square will have Maestro Joe Brown with a 12-piece band accompanying some of Malta’s best-known singers.

Another stage will be set up in Great Siege Square where the Big Band Brother, composed of 18 musicians, will play popular and jazz numbers.

But the main stage will be in Freedom Square where a three-hour concert will take place.

Local groups Scar and Winter Moods have already signified their presence, as well as Olivia Lewis, just a few days before she goes to Eurovision.

On the international level, the Freedom Square concert will have Italian crooner Alessandro Canino, Italian disc jockey Alex Tamburini, the British international group Katrina and the Waves and the great Italian singer Toto Cotugno.

Alessandro Canino, best known for his song Brutta, took part in the Sanremo festivals of 1992, 1993 and 1994 and has given concerts all over Italy as well as in Canada.

Katrina and the Waves are best known for their 1985 song Walking on Sunshine which was a great hit not only in the UK but also in the US and Australia.

Toto Cotugno won the Sanremo festival in 1976, 1980 and 1983. He is best known for his songs L’Italiano, Azzurra Malinconia, Voglio Andare a Vivere in Campagna, Le Mamme and Come Noi Nessuno al Mondo, all very well known by the Maltese.

Entrance to all the concerts is free.