What’s Going on in Malta and Gozo? September 2026 Edition

September brings a different kind of energy to Malta and Gozo.

Summer is still very much around, but the calendar begins to mix open-air concerts and festivals with some of the islands’ biggest traditions and cultural events. With Victory Day on 8 September und Independence Day on 21 September adding two public holidays to the month, there are plenty of reasons to make plans.

From live music and fireworks to candlelit museums and family festivals, here are 12 events worth adding to your September calendar.

⭐ Pick of the Month: AIDAN – The Show 2026

One of Malta’s biggest home-grown artists takes over the MFCC for what promises to be one of September’s major live music events.

AIDAN – The Show 2026 will feature music from Cowboys Don’t Cry alongside some of his best-known songs, including Bella, Naħseb Fik, Ritmu, Pupa und Juliette. Special guests, new material and a large-scale production are also planned for the evening.

The concert is AIDAN’s only full Malta show of 2026, making it an easy choice for our Pick of the Month and one of the dates local music fans will want to keep free.

Victory Day & the Regatta

Few dates bring together Malta’s history and traditions quite like Tag des Sieges, locally known as Jum il-Vitorja.

The public holiday commemorates three important victories in Malta’s history and is traditionally associated with the Victory Day Regatta in the Grand Harbour, where colourful traditional boats compete against the backdrop of the Three Cities and Valletta. The day also coincides with the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, known locally as Il-Bambina, with major festas traditionally celebrated in Mellieħa, Naxxar and Senglea in Malta and Xagħra in Gozo.

For anyone relatively new to Malta, 8 September offers a particularly good opportunity to see how history, religion, village traditions and celebration continue to overlap on the islands. The races can be viewed from the water edge of the three cities (Birgu, Cospicua, and Senglea) or Valletta.

Valletta Guitar Festival

For three days, the guitar takes centre stage in Valletta, but the programme goes well beyond one musical style. The Valletta Guitar Festival moves through classical music, jazz, tango, gypsy swing and Latin American influences, bringing together Maltese and international performers for concerts and workshops.

Among the programme highlights is The Extraordinary Guitar Night at Teatru Manoel, featuring musicians from Argentina, France, Brazil and Malta. Brazilian guitarist Yamandu Costa is among the international artists appearing during the festival.

Levant – Gozo Music Festival

September evenings in Gozo are still made for being outdoors, and Levant – Gozo Music Festival is making the most of them.

Xewkija Square becomes an open-air music venue for an evening of live performances and festival atmosphere under the stars. Open to all ages and free to attend, it is an easy choice for families, groups of friends or anyone looking for a relaxed Friday night out in Gozo.

Liquid Spirit Gozo

For four days and nights, Liquid Spirit Gozo turns the island itself into the festival venue.

Now in its fourth edition, the boutique dance music festival returns under the theme Legacy & Love, bringing together international DJs and selectors from across the house and soul spectrum. But this is not a festival built around one stage. Events unfold across villas, clubs, beaches, rooftop pools, restaurants, boats and some of Gozo’s more unexpected spaces, creating a weekend that is as much about discovering the island as it is about the music.

The programme actually begins a day early with The Pre-Party on 10 September at FRONT / ABOVE in Xlendi, before the main festival gets underway on Friday evening. From there, the weekend moves between main parties, intimate pop-ups, food experiences and daytime events.

Light Up the Sky & Sky Full of Stars

Munxar is preparing quite a spectacle for one September evening, with two major shows following one another as part of the village’s festa celebrations.

The night begins at 21:30 with Light Up the Sky, a pyromusical display where fireworks are choreographed to music, filling the sky above Munxar with colour, sound and some unmistakably Gozitan festa energy.

And when the fireworks finish, don’t head home just yet. At 22:30, Sky Full of Stars takes over with a very different kind of production: a 38-piece live orchestra accompanied by hologram technology, visual effects and pyrotechnics. The HoloConcert concept brings live music and digital imagery together for an hour-long outdoor performance, creating something far beyond the traditional festa concert.

Both events form part of the celebrations surrounding the Feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck, while Sky Full of Stars also marks the 15th anniversary of the SZPM youth society.

The Last Rose of Summer

Date: 13 September 2026
Time: From 20:00
Location: Ghajnsielem, Gozo
Entrance: Kostenlos

For a quieter Sunday evening, The Last Rose of Summer offers an hour of live string music as September begins to gently turn the page on the summer season.

Directed by Pierre Louis Attard, the string orchestra performs a varied programme ranging from Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major to works by Maltese composers Joseph Vella und Carmelo Pace, alongside music associated with celebrated film composers Ennio Morricone und Vangelis.

Bühne & Proms am Meer

Gozo follows one musical evening with another as the Gozo Youth Wind Band, directed by Maestro Dr Joseph Grech, presents Stage & Proms on the Sea.

Taking inspiration from London’s West End and the tradition of the Proms, the programme combines musical theatre and classical favourites, with vocalists Neville Refalo und Clara Sciberras joining the band.

A free standing area makes the concert accessible to everyone, while designated Premium VIP seating is available for those who prefer a reserved place.

Museums by Candlelight: Rabat & Mdina

Some familiar places look completely different after dark.

Für Museen bei Kerzenschein, thousands of candles will illuminate Domvs Romana, St Paul’s Catacombs and the National Museum of Natural History, with one €3 ticket providing access to all three sites. Live music and entertainment will accompany visitors throughout the evening.

Domvs Romana will host harp and violin performances, local band Skald will perform at St Paul’s Catacombs, while violin music will accompany visitors at the National Museum of Natural History in Mdina. The event also coincides with Rabat Sacrum, adding even more atmosphere to the surrounding streets.

FUSE Malta

For those who want to stretch the festival season a little longer, FUSE Malta brings three days of house and underground electronic music to some impressive locations around the island.

The programme moves between UNO Malta, Little Armier Bay and Ta’ Qali National Park, with more intimate sessions at Treehaus and The Club, plus limited-capacity boat parties out at sea. There is also an opening party at Castello Zammitello on 17 September for those who want to start the weekend early.

Science in the City: Research, Resist, Reimagine

One of Malta’s most established family-friendly events returns at the end of the month, turning Triton Square into a huge open-air space for curiosity, experimentation and discovery.

Celebrating its 15th edition, Science in the City brings researchers, scientists, artists and organisations out of their usual surroundings and into the centre of Valletta. This year’s theme, Research, Resist, Reimagine, explores how research can help people understand the world, question assumptions and imagine different possibilities.

Visitors can explore more than 90 stands, experiments, games and installations, with everything from robotics and hands-on science to interactive art and live demonstrations. It is designed for curious visitors of all ages rather than just serious science enthusiasts.

Gozo International Puppet Festival

September closes on a colourful note in Gozo as the Gozo International Puppet Festival returns t o Għarb.Held under the theme Puppets Without Borders, the three-day festival brings together puppetry, storytelling and performers in the heart of one of Gozo’s most picturesque villages.

The historic streets and village squares become part of the setting as characters and performances take over Għarb for the weekend. It is particularly suited to families, but its combination of international creativity and traditional surroundings gives it much wider appeal.

September has its own rhythm

September does not need to compete with the height of summer. It has a character of its own.

The crowds begin to change, the evenings become easier, and the calendar leaves room for everything from a major concert and a village fireworks display to an orchestra, a candlelit museum or a family night discovering science.

Perhaps that is September’s biggest advantage: summer is still here, just at a slightly more comfortable pace.

Event programmes, times and ticket availability may change. Always check the organiser’s official page before attending.