The highly anticipated Valletta New Year’s Eve Celebrations will kick off at 8pm this Thursday in Pjazza San Ġorġ for one of the biggest parties on the island. The festivities are being organised by the Valletta 2018 Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government, the Ministry for Tourism, the Malta Tourism Authority and the Valletta Local Council.

Valletta 2018 Chairman Jason Micallef said “New Year’s Eve sees one of the biggest events in Valletta concluding a year-long programme of projects and activities organised by the Valletta 2018 Foundation. The event will also celebrate the 450th year anniversary since the foundation stone was laid in Valletta.”

Valletta Mayor Alexiei Dingli said, “The Valletta New Year’s Eve celebration is also a family event where the Valletta community and families from around Malta and Gozo can come together to celebrate this special occasion.”

The Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority Gavin Gulia said, “Tourists visiting our Islands during the festive season will be able to join in such events and mingle with the local community. The Ministry for Tourism and the MTA are keen to support events which attract tourists even during the shoulder months.”

The Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government, Owen Bonnici said, “We now have New Year’s Eve celebrations being organised in our beautiful capital city, as in most of the other capital cities in Europe and elsewhere.”

Local acoustic band Musique will be warming up the crowd with some jazz music followed by The Crowns, another local act. Deejays Pierre Cordina and Clint Bajada will also be entertaining the masses as will an orchestra featuring members from the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra led by Sigmund Mifsud. Special musical guests Glen Vella and Kevin Borg will also be performing on the night.

The evening’s festivities will peak with the 3D Architectural Mapping Projections developed by Valletta 2018 and the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts, which will be featuring a special countdown to usher in the New Year. The projections pay tribute to Valletta’s 450th anniversary by depicting important scenes and characters from Valletta’s history. Following the countdown, Gianni and Pawlu Borg Bonaci will continue to entertain audiences, ending the night with some of their best comedy.