The Malta Book Festival will be taking place from 4-8 November at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre (MFCC), Ta' Qali.
Organised by the National Book Council (NBC) and now in its 47th edition, the Festival is the largest celebration of book culture on the island.
Featuring over 40 exhibitors including publishers, booksellers, self-published authors and other cultural entities, and a programme of over 60 events, this year's Festival invites visitors from all walks of life to come uncover the story and find that perfect book that feels like it's made just for them!
Here's all you need to know before making your way to the MFCC to enjoy the Festival next week!
When and where?
The Festival takes place at MFCC, Ta' Qali. Opening hours are:
- Wednesday 4 November: 09:00-21:00
- Thursday 5 November: 09:00-13:00 and 17:00-21:00
- Friday 6 November: 09:00-13:00 and 17:00-21:00
- Saturday 7 November: 09:00-21:00
- Sunday 8 November: 09:00-20:00
Entrance to the festival is entirely free of charge.
How to get there
MFCC is located in Ta' Qali, in central Malta. Visitors may access the space from both the North and South entrances of the MFCC.
Arriving by car
Visitors arriving by car may make use of the new indoor parking space opposite the Aviation Museum and by the South Entrance. They may also use the outdoor parking area by the North Entrance.
IMPORTANT NOTE: On Thursday and Friday mornings, visitors should access the festival via the South Entrance only. The North Entrance will be reserved for school visits and school transport during this time.
Arriving by bus
Visitors arriving by bus are advised to use the following routes, which are located close to the South Entrance:
Wednesday to Friday
56, 186, 202, 403, 405 (Stadium Bus Stop)
56, 186, 202 (Venture Bus Stop)
Saturday and Sunday
IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to temporary pedestrianisation on Saturday and Sunday, the Stadium and Venture Bus Stops will not be in use. Visitors are advised to take the 56, 186 and 202 buses to the temporary bus stop set up for this purpose. Transport Malta officials will be on-site to assist visitors accordingly.
Exciting special guests crown the programme
The Malta Book Festival is proud to have established a tradition of hosting serious literary heavyweights ever since its rebranding from fair to festival from 2013 onwards. Welcoming the likes of Salman Rushdie, John Boyne, Irvine Welsh, Naomi Klein, Anthony Horowitz and many others, the Festival creates a space where local audiences can interact with leading international figures in an entirely accessible manner.
This year is certainly no different.
World-famous Scottish crime fiction writer Ian Rankin is a special guest at this year's edition of the Malta Book Festival. Photo: Louise Mather
The globally bestselling Scottish writer Ian Rankin, famous for the Inspector Rebus novels, will lead a masterclass on crime writing on Thursday, 5 November at 19:00, and will also take part in a live interview on 7 November at 19:00, which will be followed by a book signing.
Acclaimed Spanish author Esther García Llovet will be interviewed by Charlie Cauchi on Friday, 6 November
Meanwhile, the Festival is also honoured to host the acclaimed Spanish author Esther García Llovet - whose novels Spanish Beauty and Sanchez have been released in English by Foundry Editions. Llovet will be in conversation with interdisciplinary artist and researcher Charlie Cauchi on Friday 6 November at 19:00, in an interview that is sure to span Llovet's bracing and immersive sense of place, in novels that guide readers through the gritty underbelly of cities like Madrid and Benidorm.
Visitors may register for all of the above events free of charge via Submittable.
Dynamic collaborations enrich the experience of the book
As ever, the Malta Book Festival will be enriched by its collaborations with a number of entities and creatives, which take the Maltese book as a starting point and inspiration to create interdisciplinary works and events.
These include the fifth edition of From Illustration to Book - a collaborative exhibition organised by the NBC and Arts Council Malta that explores the evolution of contemporary illustration in Malta.
The performing arts will also feature prominently in this year's edition, with theatre shows by More or Less Theatre targeted at children and young adults taking place on rotation on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, a collaboration between the NBC and Teatru Malta - Stejjer li Qatt Ma Qrawlek - will see the installation of phone booths across the venue in which visitors will be able to sample dramatised audio adaptations of contemporary Maltese prose.
An inclusive Festival for everyone
Accessibility and inclusion remain central to the Malta Book Festival. The Sensory Friendly Room, organised in collaboration with the Inspire Foundation with support from APS Bank, offers a welcoming, sensory-conscious space for families with children on the autism spectrum. The initiative helps make the Festival more comfortable and accessible, with activities designed to encourage participation in a supportive environment.
Families are encouraged to explore the programme and make time for the room as part of their visit.
€20 book vouchers for students
The National Book Council is proud to once again be offering the €20 voucher to all primary and secondary school students (Years 1-11), which may be redeemed from all booksellers and publishers at the Malta Book Festival, taking place at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre, Ta' Qali between 4 to 8 November.
Register here
All students visiting independently or with their families and guardians (not with their class), are invited to register and retrieve their free book voucher online via our online portal. Parents and guardians can register for the voucher through the portal from Thursday 15 October 2026 up to last day of the Festival on Sunday 8 November.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students visiting as part of a school group will be automatically receiving their voucher at the Festival venue, and cannot register for their voucher independently. Students who are absent on the day of the school visit can collect their voucher from the Festival venue Info Point whenever they visit. Kindly note that school registrations are now closed.
Be sure to stay updated by following the Malta Book Festival on Facebook, the National Book Council on Instagram, and to check back in on the Festival page on our website here