Organised by Festivals Malta, Notte Bianca is a one-day event held annually every October in Malta’s stunning capital, Valletta. It’s one of the largest festivals that celebrate culture and the arts on the island.
It is one of the largest celebrations of arts and culture in Malta, where the Capital serves as the stage for a myriad of artists — established and new — to showcase their craft.
A Celebration of the Arts
This event is free of charge to the public who flock to Valletta year after year to experience an unforgettable night filled with various genres of music, dance, theatre productions, visual arts, digital art, and exhibitions. You can see a flavour of the festival here:
Spanning from City Gate, the inner streets all the way to Fort St. Elmo, Valletta is buzzing with activity; every street, every piazza comes to life with stages and sound systems ready for the big-name and not-so-big-name acts to take shine under the spotlight.
And that’s not all! A particularly nice touch is that some museums and state palaces keep their doors open to the public till around midnight. Some even host exhibitions or performances to become part of the celebration. Restaurants and bars also stay open late, catering to the crowds.
Programme Notte Bianca 2025
Date: Saturday, 4th October, 2025
Where: Valletta
This year’s edition of Notte Bianca promises yet another memorable night celebrating the arts. To help you find the things you’d like to see, the organisers have allotted 8 different routes to all the events and activities hosted on the night. Here’s a teaser of what you can expect:
- Theatre Route: From street theatre and improvisation to satirical comedy, theatre lovers are in for a treat!
- Alternative Route: This route comes to life with various artistic installations, performances, marching bands, and traditional Maltese music (Għana) combined with contemporary influences.
- Classic Route: Lovers of classical music will be entertained by performances in some of Valletta’s historic buildings.
- Dance Route: The Dance Route celebrates cultures, diversity and rhythm through a variety of dance performances.
- Kids Route: Your little ones will also be entertained by fun activities such as sand crafts, games, parades, and bouncy castles at the Upper Barrakka Gardens.
- Red Route: Expect a variety of performances that showcase a sultry side to Valletta (Adults Only)
- Music Route: Featuring music of all genres, including country classics, pop music, jazz, blues, rock, and Maltese songs, get your dancing shoes ready for a jam-packed night filled with music in all corners of Valletta.
- Atmosfera Route: A selection of special events, performances, and exhibitions inspired by life in the Capital.
You can find the full details of each route alongside the performances and activities here.
Transport During Notte Bianca
Due to the large crowds, special transport services are implemented and standard services extended to accommodate.
In previous years, the inner Valletta roads were closed after 17:00 (unless you were a resident) and visitors were asked to use the City Gate to enter the city. Shuttle buses will be in operation to take visitors from the festival, and these will run into the early hours of the morning. If you are arriving from a different direction, you will be asked to approach from Lower Valletta using other entrances along the ring road.
As well as the extended bus service, a special ring road shuttle service will be in operation.
Ferris will operate for longer hours, running between 7pm and 2am. This will operate from Sliema to Marsamxett, Valletta, and from the Three Cities to Lascaris, Valletta and back.
Taxi services will operate out of the Floriana Bus Terminal and the Gozo Channel will operate as per the summer schedule.
The Park & Ride Blata l-Bajda will run through the night, and the Floriana and Valletta car parks will be open to accommodate.
Finally, the Upper Barrakka lift will be in operation during the festival. You can use the lift for a small charge.
One Response
I’d love to attend the Notte Bianca 2023.