A Music Lover's Guide To Valletta Malta

Best known for the history, artwork, architecture and sculptures, Malta’s capital city of Valletta is also home to musical venues to suit many tastes. Here’s some things that just may spark an interest in visitors interested in the music scene Valletta has to offer.

Jazz enthusiasts certainly won’t be disappointed with the capital. With a number of venues around Valletta offering live entertainment, the most popular to pay a trip to is Bridge Bar. Visitors pay a trip to the Bridge Bar from all over Europe as it is renowned on the local jazz scene as the place to sample the finest live jazz music on the island. The best sessions take place on Fridays between May and October, with performers appearing on the adjacent bridge and spectators seated on brightly coloured cushions on the steps opposite and enjoy the ultimate of chill out evenings. A wander round Valletta will see other smaller, yet still atmospheric venues offering jazz music.

A capital city wouldn’t be complete without its share of musical theatres and Valletta is no exception. Enjoy choirs, soloists, orchestras and musicals, to name a few, at the stunning 18th-century Manoel Theatre. The Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC) is another venue to check out for large concerts. Playing host to artists and musicians from all over the world, the MCC has performances all year round. Located at the Grand Harbour, this 16th-century vast building is a prime landmark in Valletta and provides instant kudos to anyone who manages to catch a performance here. The Royal Opera House is also the main base to the Malta Concert Orchestra who not only perform here, but island wide. Newly established in 2017, the orchestra comprises both professional and semi-professional musicians who perform regularly in addition to other concerts which are particularly popular during the Arts Festival. Its also worth noting what’s on at the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity for traditional and modern music. The centre pays emphasis to Maltese artists by promoting contemporary visual and performing arts and musical performances are regular occurrences.

Street buskers are popular in the form of groups, duos and soloists from all walks of life and from across Europe and beyond making this capital city the ideal place to experience a wide variation of music in one small area. A delight to the eyes as well as the ears is the Terramaxka (Maltese for ‘magical guitar’), a colourful street barrel organ that became popular in Malta during the late 19th century as a popular source of musical entertainment. Once an important feature of Malta’s feasts and festivals, few of these have been passed down through the generations and have been kept in immaculate condition. Proud owners show off their Terramaxkas in full working order in Valletta and they are always a crowd-gatherer. Owners may ask for a small donation towards their upkeep. Whatever your musical taste, it’s safe to say that Valletta is an ideal destination for music lovers. Treat your ears and pay a trip to Malta’s capital. You won’t be disappointed.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.