Tickets for the eighth National Folk Singing Festival went on sale yesterday.

The open air festival will be held on Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May at Argotti Gardens, Floriana from 7pm until 10.30pm.

This year the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts is offering Maltese folk music lovers the chance to purchase a three-day ticket for the price of Lm3. Those who do so will receive a special double album CD which features the highlights of last year’s festival free of charge.

Alternatively, tickets are on sale at Lm1 for each evening concert.

This year’s National Folk Singing Festival is dedicated to the late Maltese folklorist Guzè Cassar-Pullicino (1921-2005).

Seventy Maltese and two groups of foreign performers will be participating.

These include folk singers, folk musicians, Andrew Alamango’s Etnika, Ruben Zahra’s acoustic ensemble Nafra, John Tanti’s group Muzifolka, Johnny Saliba’s group, the Sicilian Musicanostra and the Italian duo Valla e Scurati.

The festival is sponsored by Cisk Lager.

Admission tickets are available from The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts at 230 Republic Street, Valletta, Tel: 2124-5168 (opening hours from 8am to 4pm), or from the Booking Office at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta Tel: 2122-3291 or at the door prior to the performance.