The Parliamentary Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture and the Malta Tourism Authority, will be organizing the 9th edition of the Malta International Fireworks Festival on Friday the 29th and Saturday 30th April 2011. The Grand Harbour will once again provide the perfect setting for this event. The festival forms part of the 7th anniversary celebrations of Malta's accession to the European Union. (2004).
Numerous Maltese fireworks factories are expected to participate in the event and two foreign fireworks companies will provide the international flavour. The event will feature fireworks displays synchronized to music as well as a series of competitive displays by Maltese fireworks factories.
Barriera Wharf on the Valletta sea front inside the Grand Harbour will be the best place to view all the action. Watch out for more updates on the Festival on this page in the coming months.
For further information please write to martin.morana@visitmalta.com
A video showing highlights of the 2010 edition can be found here .
Fireworks in Malta have a long tradition which goes back to the time of the Order of the Knights of St John. The feu de joie using gun salutes, the musketterija firing of muskets, the solfarelli d'aria, St Catherine's wheels (irdieden) and other forms of fireworks originated from explosives that were lit off from mortars (maskli) as an expression of rejoicing. Special occasions when such festivities were held were: the election of a Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. John, the election of a Pope who was the overall protector and ruler of the Order, the birth of a prince from a friendly European state or else to mark an important victory over the Ottoman military might. Fireworks developed into a craft when the Maltese started to celebrate the events connected to their British rulers in the 19th and 20th centuries. This centuries-old tradition is still very much alive in the crowded calendar of village festas that take place all over Malta and Gozo, especially in the summer months.