KATY PERRY Headlines Malta's ISLE OF MTV Amid Year-Round Music Tourism Push

Katy Perry made her debut at Il-Fosos Square in Floriana, Malta, headlining ISLE OF MTV 2026, billed as Europe's largest free music festival. Perry performed her new single Watch It Burn alongside several of her established songs, part of an effort by the festival and other artists to draw visitors to Malta's year-round music offerings.

Photos from Left: Katy Perry at Isle of MTV X Visit Malta photo credit: Georgia Taylor: Maltese Għana Artists photo credit: via Adrian Camilleri; Isle of MTV X Visit Malta photo credit: Georgia Taylor

MUSIC IN MALTA

In Malta, a wide range of day and night time music activities are available to visitors throughout the year.

• The Forward Motion on the Rock festival (9/24-28) features house beats in St. Paul's Bay.
• The Pjazza Teatru Rjal Green Room hosts Country Night (10/5) with the band Too Saturdays for a western and country atmosphere.
• In early 2027, the Valletta Baroque Festival runs from January 7 to January 24, featuring performances of music from the 17th and 18th century by Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach at the Teatru Manoel.

MUSIC IN GOZO

Gozo, Malta's sister island, also hosts concerts including:

• The Levant: Gozo Music Festival, a free event on September 11 featuring bands at Xewkija Square, Gozo.
• Harmony Across Time on October 30 at the Gozo Cathedral, presenting the classical music of composer Antoine Mercieca performed by soloists, a choir, and orchestra performing his Requiem in C Minor.
• The Golden Age of ABBA & Boney M., featuring a 55-piece orchestra, two rock bands, and an 18-piece backing choir, on November 21 at the Teatru Tal-Opra Aurora.

AUTHENTIC MALTESE TRADITION - GĦANA FOLK MUSIC

Travelers interested in authentic Maltese storytelling can experience Malta Għana, featuring acoustic guitars and singers of all generations performing well-known and personal tales of the Maltese people.

Għana is a type of folk singing that has been part of Maltese culture dating back to the 16th century, performed by għannejja, the name for singers who perform with a tight and controlled diaphragm, making Għana an acquired skill.

Għana includes three main types:

• Tal-Fatt: a narrative driven ballad that recounts events or personal retellings

Beyond the festival, Malta's music calendar includes the Forward Motion on the Rock festival in St. Paul's Bay, a Country Night with the band Too Saturdays, and the Valletta Baroque Festival featuring works by Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach at the Teatru Manoel. On the island of Gozo, offerings include the Levant: Gozo Music Festival, a classical program titled Harmony Across Time at Gozo Cathedral, and a tribute concert, THE GOLDEN AGE OF ABBA & BONEY M., at the Teatru Tal-Opra Aurora. Traditional Għana folk singing, dating back to the 16th century, continues to be performed at events such as Folk Underground: Echoes of Maltese Songs Beneath the City at San Duminku Church in Valletta.

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