Notte Bianca returns to Valletta on the 5th of October from 19:00 onwards, bringing forth a new vision with a passion for arts at heart.
This year, Festivals Malta which falls within the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government has rebranded the popular festival with a fresh new identity, introducing its new tagline ‘Where arts bring the city to life’.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici made reference to the yearly anticipation Notte Bianca brings. “With over 50 different acts, Notte Bianca is the largest and the only festival of its kind in Malta, featuring the participation of over 200 local and international artists. A spectacular night that is only made possible by a dedicated team of over 100 people who work tirelessly to make this festival the success that it is”, stated Minister Owen Bonnici. He also highlighted that this will be the first time that the Courts of Justice will be open for the public in this unique way. Minister Bonnici concluded by referring to the ongoing direct investment in the culture sector, which is developing this platform further by making it more accessible to artists and members of our society.
Valletta Mayor Alfred Zammit was also present and stressed the importance of promoting events of this calibre in our capital city.
Festivals Malta Chairman Norman Hamilton said that, “it is an honour and a privilege that I am addressing you as the Chairman of Festivals Malta, a new agency who is responsible for 8 different festivals taking place around Malta and Gozo. I would like to thank Minister Bonnici who gave me this opportunity and I do hope that in the future, I’ll be in a position to announce more new festivals under the cultural auspices of Festivals Malta”.
Valletta Cultural Agency Chairman Jason Micallef spoke about the VCA’s collaboration in the festival, and how important Notte Bianca is for Valletta. He said that, “during this special night, Valletta is transformed into a stage for performances and art forms of all kind, allowing hundreds of artists to showcase their work in innovative and creative ways. For this year’s edition of Notte Bianca, the Valletta Cultural Agency is collaborating with Festivals Malta to produce ‘Orkestra fil-Miftuħ’, a musical journey at Pjazza Teatru Rjal, with the participation of the Malta Youth Orchestra, tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens, mezzo soprano Clare Ghigo and singer Jasmine Abela. Through such collaborations with public cultural organisations, the VCA continues to ensure that arts and culture are made accessible to the public, while continuously driving new life into our capital city”.
Annabelle Stivala, Director of Festivals Malta explained that, “Notte Bianca is a unique festival that has grown significantly over the years. It was high time to look at developing the brand to present an image that truly reflects the fresh approach of bringing the streets of the capital to life. This year we have also invested in a new visitor strategy to help our patrons plan their visit ahead, ensuring that those attending can make the most out of the biggest arts and culture event on the island in a festive setting”.
Festivals Malta, has launched the 2019 Notte Bianca programme of events, with a variety of performances that appeal to the diverse Notte Bianca crowd.
Highlights for 2019 include ‘il-lejla, llejla!’ – a live music programme on the main stage at Pjazza San Ġorġ with srtists like Owen Luellen, Sterjotipi, Skald, Vinyl Paradise, JJoy and international DJ Christina Novelli; acoustic classical music performances at MUŻA; a piano concerto from the Vatican’s very own Maestro Libertucci at St John’s Co-Cathedral; dance projects with social themes in the Upper Barrakka Gardens; ‘it-Tfalja li Stunat’ – a brief musical comedy within the Law Courts of Malta and so much more.
All of this year’s productions have been exclusively produced and developed for Notte Bianca together with its new artistic director, Antoine Farrugia.
Antoine Farrugia explained that, “Notte Bianca is a unique experience that unites the community, artists and the audience. Our vision is to produce a diverse and glamorous spectacle with passion were all arts genre meet together”.
Visitors heading to Notte Bianca this year will be able to plan their visit ahead due to a new visitor strategy. The programme has been categorised into 7 routes, designed to facilitate the Notte Bianca experience. These are categorsied as: Red (consisting of adult entertainment), Installations, Dance, Theatre, Kids, Classic and Music.
Festivals Malta has also launched an interactive map on its website, which maps out the projects according to the different routes and also indicates where each project is located.
Visit www.festivals.mt for more information.