This year’s edition of Għanafest was launched by Arts Council Malta following the traditional San Girgor mass in Żejtun, just before a group of għannejja and musicians made their way to Marsaxlokk on animal-drawn carts.

“The festival, which started back in 1998, is a celebration of local traditional music which comes in various forms, each having different characteristics. The festival preserves this heritage, creates awareness and keeps this tradition alive,” said Annabelle Stivala, Director Festivals within Arts Council Malta. Għanafest is now rooted deep into the Maltese rich and flavoursome cultural calendar. The long, resolute tradition behind the festival, however, has been no cause for inhibition to its creators and it has not kept them from thinking outside the box. This year, in fact, the Għanafest returns with its full authenticity and an added dash of zest. It has been made sure that this prestigious festival does not only make it to the public calendars, but goes all the way into the heart of Malta’s oldest villages, attracting veterans and novices alike. The format has been changed from the traditional three-day festival to a chain of events that will take followers to different locations. At each place, the public will be invited to savour the traditional elements of Maltese song as they are relived and blended in with modern tangs which have inevitably been absorbed into our customs, adding colour and taste from today’s artistic world