The Farsons Great Beer Festival is back and will be taking place at the National Park in Ta’ Qali, between Friday 28 July and Sunday 6 August.

“The festival is mainly a celebration of Farsons’ brewing tradition which was first established in 1928”, said Ray Grech, Chief Marketing Officer at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, during an official launch of the festival yesterday.

As a result of its long establishment, Farsons prides itself in forming part of Malta’s cultural image. In fact, the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has chosen to sponsor this year’s edition, since the event coincides with the launch of the authority’s extensive campaign on branding.

Personal Assistant to the Executive Chairman at MTA, Kevin Drake, explained that the authority aims to create a distinct image of Malta in people’s minds the world over.

“We aim to create a brand that goes by the name of Malta,” he said, while insisting that the strongest brands are always built from the inside out, so MTA would like to begin building brand Malta internally.

Each and every one of us has to promote our country fanatically and the fact that the Farsons’ Great Beer Festival attracts more than 80,000 people over 10 days, makes it the perfect event for the MTA to take the message to where the people are, Mr Drake said.

This 26th edition of the festival will once again be offering great local and international beer, food, and free entertainment with over 40 live performances on two stages.

The main stage will feature different shows by popular singers and will be hosted by popular TV presenters Moira Delia and Ray Calleja, while top Maltese rock and alternative bands will perform at the rock stage, which will also feature young and upcoming bands.

“The festival offers the largest pint of entertainment, showcasing the best in Maltese musical talent,” said Ivan Filletti, Marketing Manager at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc.

The beer festival’s coordinator, Matthew Cuomo said that in all, the event is a great evening out for everyone. The whole family will be kept entertained, since a play area has also been set up for young children.

The main sponsors of this year’s festival are the Malta Tourism Authority and Vodafone, while Xfm is the official radio station. Other sponsors include Algida, Global Capital, Exotique, Tuc, Hera Cruises and Danone.